Hormonal signalling

Question 1

advantages of plants using non-specific hormonal signalling

Answer 1

distributed computing, energetically inexpensive, slow responses prevent hasty decisions, no need to coordinate movements.

Question 2

disadvantages of plants using non-specific hormonal signalling

Answer 2

slow signalling transmission, non-specific, no central processing.

Question 3

plant ‘hormones’ list:

Answer 3

Auxin, cytokinin, gibberelic acid, jasmonic acids, strigolactones, brassinosteroids, ethylene, abscisic acid and salicyclic acids.

Question 4

explain why ‘auxins do everything’

Answer 4

Auxin is a very simple molecule, it doesnt directly do anything; however plant organs use it to judge their growth, it works because it doesnt necessarily mean anything.