Ethylene - Dormancy
Ripening of fruits involves a chain of cellular events like:
- Rise in the rate of respiration,
- Breakdown of higher carbohydrates into carboxylic acids, chlorophyll breaks down, other pigments become prominent (carotene, xanthophyll, lycopene),
- Break down of proteins into amino acids,
- Formation of sugars from polysaccharides like starch that is why ripe fruits are sweet in mango, banana and sour in citrus (contains carboxylic acids),
- Decay of cell wall and organelles. All these events are mediated through a number of enzymes which means activation or denovo synthesis of enzymes is an integral part of hormone action,
- Causes sex change in flowers.