Auxins

/ˈɔːɡzɪnz/ noun

Definition

Plant hormones that regulate growth, elongation, and responses to light and gravity, with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) being the most common type.

Etymology

From Latin auxin (from augere, to increase). Discovered in the 1930s, the term literally means 'growth promoter.'

Kelly Says

Auxins were discovered through one of science's coolest experiments—researchers like Charles Darwin noticed that plants bent toward light, and decades later scientists found a single molecule (auxin) was responsible for detecting light and telling the plant where to grow.

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