A gaseous plant hormone that regulates fruit ripening, flower wilting, and leaf abscission. As the simplest plant hormone, ethylene can diffuse through air and coordinate responses among nearby plants.
From Greek 'ethyl' (a chemical group) and the suffix '-ene' indicating an unsaturated hydrocarbon. First recognized as a plant hormone in 1901 when gas leaks were found to cause premature fruit ripening.
Ethylene is the reason why 'one bad apple spoils the bunch' - this invisible gas hormone spreads through the air like a ripening signal, turning a single overripe fruit into a chemical messenger that triggers all nearby fruits to ripen rapidly!
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