Growth and Development

• Plant development - is the process by which plants acquire their final form and function. Regulated by genetic and environmental factors and involves a series of stages such as seed germination, vegetative growth, and reproduction.

  
• Phytohormones - chemical messengers that regulate various aspects of plant growth and development.

  • Auxins: cell elongation, apical dominance, and phototropism.
  • Cytokinin: cell division, shoot formation, and delay of senescence.
  • Gibberellins: stem elongation, seed germination, and fruit development.
  • Abscisic acid: stress response and seed dormancy
  • Ethylene: fruit ripening, leaf and flower senescence, and the response to stress