cytokinin
Very Low (Technical/Specialist)Scientific/Technical
Definition
Meaning
A class of plant hormones that promote cell division and growth.
Any of a group of plant hormones (phytohormones) that regulate various aspects of plant growth and development, including cell division, shoot and root morphogenesis, apical dominance, and leaf senescence. They often interact with auxins.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term is highly specific to plant physiology, botany, horticulture, and agriculture. It refers to a chemical substance rather than a process or concept. Often used in plural ('cytokinins') to refer to the class.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning, spelling, or usage. Standard scientific term.
Connotations
None beyond its strict scientific definition.
Frequency
Equally rare and specialised in both variants.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Cytokinin promotes [noun phrase].[Noun phrase] is regulated by cytokinin.The application of cytokinin [verb phrase].Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in agribusiness or biotech contexts discussing crop yield enhancement or plant tissue culture.
Academic
Common in botany, plant physiology, horticulture, and agricultural science research papers and textbooks.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
The primary domain of use. Standard term in laboratory protocols, scientific discussions, and technical manuals related to plant science.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The tissue was cytokinined to induce bud formation.
- They are cytokinining the explants to improve regeneration.
American English
- The researcher cytokinined the culture medium.
- We need to cytokinin these samples to test the hypothesis.
adjective
British English
- The cytokinin response was measured after 48 hours.
- They observed a cytokinin-like effect in the mutant.
American English
- A cytokinin treatment was applied to half the plants.
- The gene shows cytokinin-dependent expression.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Cytokinins are important plant hormones.
- Farmers sometimes use hormones like cytokinin to help plants grow.
- Adding cytokinin to the growth medium stimulated the cells to divide.
- The balance between auxin and cytokinin determines whether a plant forms roots or shoots.
- The study elucidated the role of cytokinin signalling in breaking apical dominance and promoting lateral bud growth.
- Transgenic plants overexpressing the cytokinin biosynthesis gene exhibited delayed senescence and enhanced shoot proliferation.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'CYTO' (cell) + 'KININ' (akin to 'kinetic' or 'kinesis' meaning movement/division). It's the hormone that gets cells moving into division.
Conceptual Metaphor
A 'green light' or 'go signal' for plant cells to divide; a 'youth elixir' delaying ageing in plant tissues.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'цитокин' (cytokine), which is an animal immune system protein. 'Cytokinin' is specifically for plants and translates as 'цитокинин'.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'cytokine' (a different class of compounds in animals).
- Using it as a countable noun in singular form when referring to the general class (better: 'cytokinins' or 'a cytokinin').
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary physiological role of cytokinins?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Cytokinin is a plant hormone. Cytokine is a signalling protein in the animal immune system. The names are similar but the substances and functions are completely different.
Yes, but typically not as pure cytokinin. It is an active ingredient in some commercial plant growth regulators or rooting hormones, often combined with auxins.
They are primarily synthesised in the root tips and developing seeds, and then transported to other parts of the plant via the xylem.
Benzylaminopurine (BAP) is a commonly used synthetic cytokinin in plant tissue culture and horticulture to promote shoot growth.