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I am a high school student currently conducting a research project on hormones and its effect on plant growth/ development.

What is the best period of time and temperature to investigate the full effects of the plant hormones abscisic acid and gibberellic acid? What is the purpose of disinfecting the seeds in Clorox for 1-2 minutes? Why do seeds need to germinate faster? Lastly, are there any health risks these hormones may pose to humans?

Hi Arsheen,

A quick google search for abscisic acid and gibberellins lead me to this website: http://www.plant-hormones.info/index.htm

You might find some interesting information there.

With regards to the Clorox treatment, there are many phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria that can infect seeds/seedlings and confound the experiment. Plant biologists typically sterilize everything (including containers, soil, and even the seeds) to prevent confounding variables that may affect plant growth.

in terms of germiniation time, what are the advantages to a plant if it germinates faster than other seeds planted next to it?

As far as I know, these plant hormones should not affect humans at all. You may want to try searching for a "material safety data sheet" for these compounds. It should tell you whether there are any health hazards. Good luck!

Linh
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