A plant hormone that promotes cell growth and elongation, helping plants grow taller and develop their structure.
From Greek auxein 'to grow' + -ina, a chemical suffix. The term was coined in the early 20th century when scientists discovered this growth-promoting substance in plants.
Auxins are like nature's growth accelerator—they're why plants bend toward light and why a broken branch doesn't just grow straight up but toward the sun. Scientists discovered them by studying grass seedlings moving toward light!
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