Explore the Plant Hormone Simulator
Dial up auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, ethylene and ABA and watch a plant bend toward light, stretch taller, branch out, ripen fruit or drop its leaves.
- Free to use
- No signup
- Nothing to install
- Runs in your browser
Illustration. Open the tool for the real thing.
See it in action
The Plant Hormone Simulator with sample data entered and the result showing.
What is the Plant Hormone Simulator?
Dial up auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, ethylene and ABA and watch a plant bend toward light, stretch taller, branch out, ripen fruit or drop its leaves. It runs in your browser, so a change to a setting or a drag on an object shows up at once.
Farmers use synthetic auxins as rooting powder and weedkillers, gibberellin sprays to elongate seedless grapes, and ethylene gas to ripen bananas and tomatoes after shipping.
3 steps to your result
Open the tool and follow along. Nothing to install.
What you get
Auxin builds up on the shaded side of a shoot and makes those cells elongate more, curving the shoot toward the light.
Gibberellin drives stem elongation; more of it makes a plant grow taller faster.
The cytokinin-to-auxin ratio decides whether tissue grows more shoots (high cytokinin) or more roots (high auxin), the same rule used in plant tissue culture.
Move the light to one extreme and raise auxin, then watch the bend angle readout.
Raise cytokinin and drop auxin, and watch new branches appear.
Raise ethylene and watch the fruit ripen and the leaves yellow, then raise cytokinin to slow the ageing.
Used for
Pick one to see how it fits.
Teachers
For teachers: project the Plant Hormone Simulator on the board, let students predict the result, then run it together and test this: Raise cytokinin and drop auxin, and watch new branches appear. For students: change one thing at a time and write down what changes.
Try it freeHow it compares
A plain look at this tool next to the usual alternative.
| This simulation | Textbook diagram | |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive | Drag, tap and change settings | Fixed picture |
| Install | Nothing to install | Not needed |
| Cost | Free to use | Depends on the book |
Questions people ask
How does auxin make a plant bend toward light?
Auxin accumulates on the darker side of the stem, making those cells elongate faster than the lit side, which curves the tip toward the light.
What decides whether a plant grows more branches or more roots?
The ratio of cytokinin to auxin: more cytokinin relative to auxin favours shoot and branch growth, while more auxin relative to cytokinin favours root growth and suppresses side branches.
Is the Plant Hormone Simulator free to use?
Yes. The Plant Hormone Simulator is free, needs no signup or download and runs in your web browser. It is part of the Botany group of AZRS simulations.
Does the Plant Hormone Simulator work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. The Plant Hormone Simulator takes touch input as well as mouse input, so you can use its 7 adjustable settings with a finger. A larger screen makes the controls and graphs easier to read.
How do I use the Plant Hormone Simulator?
1. In the Plant Hormone Simulator, use the controls to change Auxin (IAA), Gibberellin, Cytokinin, Ethylene, Abscisic acid (ABA), and more. The simulation reacts instantly. 2. In the Plant Hormone Simulator, press "Reset plant" to start, reset or change what is happening. 3. Start with this experiment: Move the light to one extreme and raise auxin, then watch the bend angle readout. Drag any glowing handle, object or slider with your mouse or finger and the Plant Hormone Simulator responds in real time. 4. Change one setting at a time and watch which readout moves, then compare it with this idea: Auxin builds up on the shaded side of a shoot and makes those cells elongate more, curving the shoot toward the light.
More free tools
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Try the Plant Hormone Simulator now
Dial up auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, ethylene and ABA and watch a plant bend toward. Free to use.
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