Question

Write any six important functions of auxins.

Answer 1

Hint: Auxins are a powerful growth hormone produced naturally by the plant.
They are seen in the shoot and the root tips and promotes the cell division, stem and root growth.

Complete step by step answer: Auxins are a class of plant hormones with morphogen-like characteristics. These hormones have a cardinal role in the coordination of many growth factors.
Functions:
i. When the plant cell comes into contact with auxin, it causes dramatic changes in the gene expression, with many genes up or down-regulated.
ii. The auxin response factors are large groups of the transcription factors that act in auxin signalling.
iii. The auxin is essential for cell growth, affecting both cell division and cellular expansion. The growth and division of plant cells together result in the growth of tissue, and specific tissue growth contributes to the development of the plant organs.
iv. The local auxin maxima can be formed by the active biosynthesis in the certain cells of tissues, for example, through tryptophan-dependent pathways, but auxins are not synthesized in all cells. As auxin contributes to the organ shaping, they are also fundamentally required for the proper development of the plant itself.
v. Auxin promotes stem elongation, inhibiting the growth of lateral buds.
vi. The auxin also plays a role in maintaining apical dominance.

Note: Auxins are produced in the stem, buds and root tips. They can also drastically affect plant orientation by promoting cell division to one side of the plant in response to the sunlight and gravity. Auxins are synthesized naturally by plants as well as it can be produced synthetically.