What are gibberellins?

Gibberellins are special messages that help plants grow taller and stronger.

Imagine you're playing a game where each turn lets you grow a little bit bigger. That’s what gibberellins do for plants, they send out signals telling the plant it's time to stretch up and reach for the sun, just like you reaching for your favorite toy.

How Gibberellins Work

Think of a seed that's been sitting in the soil all winter. It’s cozy but sleepy. When spring comes, gibberellins are like a loud shout from inside the seed saying, “Wake up! It's time to grow!” This helps the seed sprout and push through the ground.

Gibberellins in Action

If you've ever seen a plant that grows really tall, like a sunflower reaching for the sky, it’s because gibberellins are helping each part of the plant stretch out. It's like having a little helper inside every leaf and stem, giving them a nudge to grow just a bit more each day.

Take the quiz →

Examples

  1. A seed starts growing because of a hormone called gibberellin.
  2. A plant grows taller when it gets more gibberellins.
  3. Gibberellins help plants break dormancy and start to grow.

Ask a question

See also

Discussion

Recent activity