The plant growth regulator largely present in coconut milk is?

Appeared in: KPSC Staff Nurse - 2016

Explanation

Coconut milk is the liquid endosperm of the coconut and serves as a natural reservoir of nutrients and growth-promoting compounds.
It is particularly rich in Cytokinins, a class of plant hormones (phytohormones) that primarily promote cell division (cytokinesis).
The specific cytokinin found in coconut milk is a derivative of zeatin.
Due to this high cytokinin content, coconut milk is widely used in plant tissue culture media to stimulate cell proliferation and shoot formation.

Option A: Auxins are not the predominant hormone in coconut milk. Their primary roles are in cell elongation, apical dominance, and initiating root growth.
Option B: ABA (Abscisic Acid) is an inhibitory hormone, not a growth promoter. It is associated with stress responses and dormancy.
Option C: Gibberellins are primarily involved in stem elongation, seed germination, and flowering, not the cell division stimulated by coconut milk.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Plant Growth Regulators (Phytohormones) as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Understanding the roles of phytohormones is fundamental to agriculture and horticulture for controlling plant development, from rooting and growth to fruit ripening and senescence.
The use of coconut milk in plant tissue culture is a direct practical application of this botanical knowledge, enabling the mass propagation of commercially important plants.
What if the question asked about the hormone responsible for ripening a banana? The answer would be Ethylene, a gaseous hormone that triggers the ripening process in many fruits.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key terms in the question: 'plant growth regulator' and 'coconut milk'.
This is a factual recall question from the topic of plant physiology (botany).
Access your knowledge about the major classes of plant hormones (phytohormones) and their primary functions.
Recall or deduce the specific role of coconut milk in plant biology. It is widely known for its use in tissue culture to promote growth.
The type of growth it promotes is rapid cell proliferation (division).
Match this function (cell division/cytokinesis) with the corresponding hormone class, which is Cytokinin.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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Practise the full KPSC Staff Nurse - 2016

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.