Abstract
This chapter provides an introduction to brassinosteroids (BS) and other plant hormones. Plant growth processes are controlled by five types of phytohormones: the auxins, the cytokinins, the gibberellins, abscisic acid, and ethylene. Plants possess the ability to biosynthesize a large variety of steroids and a hormonal function is repeatedly postulated for plants also. The role of steroids as hormones of mammals has been known since 1930, and steroidal hormones have been found in insects and fungi as well. BS are a group of plant hormones. They demonstrate various kinds of regulatory activities on the growth and development of plants, such as stimulation of cell enlargement and cell division, lamina inclination, bending of leafs at the joints, and changes in membrane potentials. At the molecular level, BS change the gene expression and the metabolism of nucleic acids and proteins. BS are widespread in nature and are found in gymnosperms, monocotyledons, dicotyledons, and algae. BS are present in nearly every part of the plant, with the highest concentrations in the reproductive organs—pollen and immature seeds. The extremely high activity of BS has attracted the attention of many specialists in the fields of chemistry, biology, and agriculture.
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