Glycoside, any of a wide variety of naturally occurring substances in which a carbohydrate

portion, consisting of one or more sugars or a uronic acid (i.e., a sugar acid), is combined with a
hydroxy compound. The hydroxy compound, usually a non-sugar entity (aglycon), such as a
derivative of phenol or an alcohol, may also be another carbohydrate, as in cellulose, glycogen,
or starch, which consist of many glucose units.
Glycosides are usually compounds of plant origin. They are made up of one or more sugars
combined with an alcohol, a phenol, or a complex molecule such as a steroid nucleus.
Glycosides represent a large group of secondary metabolic products derived from plants,
demonstrating several known functions, including growth regulation, allelopathy (inhibition of
other plant growth), and defense mechanisms against damage induced by herbivores and
pathogens
.
Many glycosides occur in plants, often as flower and fruit pigments; for example, anthocyanins
(In plants, anthocyanins play a role not only in reproduction, by attracting pollinators and seed
dispersers but also in protection against various abiotic and biotic stresses. Anthocyanins
diminish the oxidative load in a leaf simply by filtering out yellow-green light, since the
majority of reactive oxygen in plant cells is derived from the excitation of chlorophyll. These
pigments cause the yellowing leaves to turn red. Red maples, red oaks). Various medicines,
condiments, and dyes from plants occur as glycosides
They are composed of two bound portions, a sugar moiety, named glycone, and a second
portion known as the aglycone or genin. Examples of this large group of glycosides include:
Naringin-Naringin is a flavonoid glycoside that is abundantly contained in the skin of grapefruit
and orange and is the origin of their bitterness. (aglycone: naringenin- Naringenin is the first
flavonoid synthesized in the citrus biosynthetic pathway and serves as the precursor for the rest
of flavonoids., glycone: rutinose- rutinose, which is flavorless. Rutin is one of the most
important flavonoids and plays a key role to protect plants against ultraviolet radiation or
pathogens It is found in plants like buckwheat, tobacco.).

Auxins are a powerful growth hormone produced naturally by plants. They are found in shoot
and root tips and promote cell division, stem and root growth. They can also drastically affect
plant orientation by promoting cell division to one side of the plant in response to sunlight and
gravity.
Is Sunflower an example of phototropism? Phototropism is the growth of a plant in the direction
of light. It is one of the many plant tropisms or movements which respond to external stimuli.
Thus, the movement of the sunflower towards the sun is due to phototropism. Sunflower is a
highly phototropic plant. They grow towards the sun and are also seen tracking the movement
of the sun throughout the day. The first is mediated by a hormone (Auxin) that causes the plant
cells on the shady side of the stem to elongate, thus pushing the plant toward the sun. So, early
in the day, the west side of the stem causes the movement, but later, the east side is in the shade
and keeps the process going.

Auxins are plant hormones that promote positive phototropism in plants. Auxin only work on
plant cells with auxin receptors and increase the flexibility of plant cell walls in developing
shoots. This enables cell elongation on the side of the shoot necessary to cause growth towards
the light

If the amount of sunlight is greater on one side of the plant, the phototropins trigger reactions
that will cause the redistribution of auxin by efflux pumps to the dark side of the plant. High
concentrations of auxins cause cells on the shaded side of the cell to swell and elongate. When
auxin binds to a receptor in the nucleus , this activates a proton pump. The proton pump moves
H+ ions into spaces in the cell wall, decreasing the pH. This results in the breaking of the
hydrogen bonds between cellulose fibres, resulting in the swelling and elongation of these cells.
As the cells elongate and swell on one side of the plant the stem starts to curve towards the light
source because of this uneven growth. The plant now is growing towards the light source
(phototropism).
Auxin influences cell growth rates by changing the pattern of gene expression.
Auxin is a plant hormone and influences cell growth rates by changing the pattern of gene
expression with a plant’s cells. Auxin’s mechanism of action is different in shoots and roots as
different gene pathways are activated in each tissue. Auxin moved to side of stem with least
light/darker side causing cells on dark side to elongate/cells on dark side grow faster. The gene
expression is altered by auxin to promote cell growth.

Gibberellins are plant growth regulators that facilitate cell elongation, help the plants to grow
taller. They also play major roles in germination, elongation of the stem, fruit ripening and
flowering.
Gibberellins cause seed germination by breaking the seed’s dormancy and acting as a chemical
messenger. Its hormone binds to a receptor, and calcium activates the protein calmodulin, and
the complex binds to DNA, producing an enzyme to stimulate growth in the embryo.
Gibberellins stimulate cell elongation by altering the rheological properties of the cell wall; as a
consequence, the water potential of the cell is lowered allowing for water uptake and therefore
an increase in cell volume.