A population of plants experiences several years of severe drought. Much of the population dies due to lack of water, but a few individuals survive. You set out to discover the physiological basis for their adaptation to such an extreme environmental change. You hypothesize that the survivors have the ability to synthesize higher levels of ________ than their siblings do.
A) auxin
B) gibberellin
C) cytokinin
D) abscisic acid

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Abscisic acid is known to play a crucial role in plant survival during drought conditions by regulating the closure of stomata, reducing water loss through transpiration and stimulating root growth to access water in deeper soil layers. Therefore, it is likely that the survivors have the ability to synthesize higher levels of abscisic acid in response to the severe drought conditions.

A Population of Plants Experiences Several Years of Severe Drought