Final answer:
Auxins are a group of plant hormones that regulate growth and development in plants, including other hormones like cytokinins, gibberellins, ethylene, and abscisic acid. Auxins specifically control processes like cell elongation, apical dominance, and differentiation of vascular tissue. The interaction between various plant hormones dictates the overall growth response.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term for a group of chemicals called hormones that help to regulate plant growth and development is auxins. These plant hormones, which include auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins, ethylene, and abscisic acid, are crucial for various plant processes such as cell elongation, flowering, fruit setting, and resistance to stress factors, among others. Auxins, particularly indoleacetic acid (IAA), are known for their role in phototropism and gravitropism, promoting cell elongation, vascular tissue differentiation, and leaf development. Gibberellins, on the other hand, help to stimulate cell growth and break seed dormancy.
Although auxins are produced in all parts of a plant, they are primarily synthesized in the shoot apical meristem and can inhibit the growth of lateral buds, a phenomenon known as apical dominance. The balance between different hormones can have synergistic or antagonistic effects on plant growth, showing the complexity of growth regulation in plants. In addition to traditional hormones, recent studies have identified nontraditional compounds that also affect plant development, though their roles are currently less understood.