Zeatin is a plant growth hormone in the cytokinin family. It consists of a purine ring structure with a side chain that contains hydroxyl, amino, and olefin groups. It was discovered in the corn genus听Zea, for which it is named.
Zeatin and other cytokinins are produced in plants鈥� root systems. How they signal the plant to grow shoots has been discovered only recently. C.-J. Liu and co-workers at Brookhaven National Laboratory identified a听. This finding may help researchers improve crop yields and reduce the need for fertilizers.
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