The terminal bud suppresses lateral buds through auxin, shaping plant architecture.
Auxin from the shoot tip moves down, inhibiting lateral buds directly and via cytokinin and strigolactone regulation. Pruning removes the tip and encourages bushiness.
Cytokinins from roots promote lateral bud outgrowth; strigolactones suppress them. Removing the apical bud shifts the balance. Gardeners prune to change shape and flowering.
Example: hedge trimming encourages dense growth.
The terminal bud suppresses lateral buds through auxin, shaping plant architecture.
Apical Dominance is one of the 56 topics in Plant Biology. It is rated Advanced, so it suits learners who want specialist depth. Related topics in this area include Plant Hormones, Plant Tissue Culture, Plant Tissues.
Pinching out growing tips makes bushier herbs.
Work through the Beginner topics in Plant Biology first, such as Plant Kingdom, Photosynthesis, Chlorophyll, then return to Apical Dominance. Advanced topics assume the Intermediate vocabulary.
The closest topics to Apical Dominance are Plant Hormones, Plant Tissue Culture, Plant Tissues, Auxin and Phototropism. Comparing them side by side is a good way to see how the ideas connect.
Read the summary and the in-depth section, then use the quick check on the interactive lesson for Apical Dominance. To practise the whole of Plant Biology, use the Plant Biology quiz.
Apical Dominance: The terminal bud suppresses lateral buds through auxin, shaping plant architecture. Plant Hormones: Auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, abscisic acid and ethylene regulate growth, development and responses. Read both side by side and note what each one explains.
First, read the summary and write the definition in your own words. Second, read the in-depth section and note any example. Third, compare it with Plant Hormones and explain the difference aloud. Finally, take the Plant Biology quiz and come back to this page for any question you miss.
Auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, abscisic acid and ethylene regulate growth, development and responses.
🌿 Plant BiologyGrowing whole plants from small explants on sterile media with defined hormones, enabling cloning.
🌿 Plant BiologyMeristematic, dermal, ground and vascular tissues organise the plant body.
🌿 Plant BiologyAuxin moves to the shaded side of a shoot, causing cells there to elongate so it bends toward light.
🌿 Plant Biology