A student was doing an experiment on increasing the cell division among plants. She asked her supervisor to suggest the specific plant hormone for the same. Had you been her supervisor, which plant hormone would you suggest ?

Cytokinins are the primary plant hormones responsible for promoting cell division (mitosis) [1]. They are found in high concentrations in areas of rapid growth, such as fruits, seeds, and meristems [1]. In tissue culture, cytokinins are essential for stimulating the cell divisions that lead to the formation of undifferentiated callus and the initiation of new shoots [1]. While other hormones like auxins and gibberellins primarily facilitate cell elongation and stem growth, cytokinins specifically regulate the cell cycle to increase the number of cells [1]. Conversely, abscisic acid acts as a growth inhibitor, inducing dormancy and leaf wilting [1]. Therefore, to increase cell division in a plant experiment, a supervisor would suggest cytokinin, as it is the defining hormone for cytokinesis and shoot stem cell maintenance [3].

Sources

1. [1] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 6: Control and Coordination > Activity 6.2 > p. 108
2. [3] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3894907/