Question

How do the functions of Cytokinins differ from gibberellins?

Answer 1

Cytokinins as the name suggests is involved in cell division while gibberellins play a major role in maintaining the size of cells and elongation of the stem by inducing internodal growth. Cytokinins are also involved in delaying the senescence of leaves.

Complete answer: Cytokinins and gibberellins are both types of plant growth regulators having different roles in maintaining the growth and development of plants. The following are the differences between gibberellins and Cytokinins.

CYTOKININS	GIBBERELLINS
They promote cell division	They are important for the increase in the size of the cells
They are said to determine the morphology of the seed	It induces seed dormancy and germination
It plays an important role in the nutrient mobilization	It is used for the synthesis of RNA and proteins
It promotes the development of inflorescence and enable apical dominance	These promotes the development of fruits
It is used for the prevention of leaf senescence or death	These are important for elongation of the stem and promote embryo growth

Additional information: Different hormones can be categorized into different classes, based on their chemical structures. Within each class of hormone, chemical structures show variation, but all members of the same class have similar physiological effects.
There are five general classes of hormones: auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins, ethylene, and abscisic acid.

Note: It should be noted that both Cytokinin and gibberellin like auxins are plant growth regulators which play an important role in maintaining the growth of plants, while plant growth hormones like ethylene are said to induce the ripening of fruits in the plants.