11 Surprising Facts About the Endocrine System

Plants produce hormones without an endocrine system.

indoor-plants

(Image credit: Gow27 | Shutterstock.com)

Unlike humans and other animals, plants do not have an endocrine system or endocrine glands. But they do have hormones, which affect various processes related to plant growth, including gene expression, metabolism and cell division.

Plant cells sometimes produce hormones to use locally, but they may also transport the chemicals to other areas using specialized elongated cells or other means.

Knowing that plants use hormones to guide their growth, agriculturalists have been using hormonelike chemicals called "plant growth regulators" since the 1930s to improve or otherwise modify the growth of their crops, according to University of Florida agronomist Frederick Fishel.

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Joseph Castro
Live Science Contributor
Joseph Bennington-Castro is a Hawaii-based contributing writer for Live Science and Space.com. He holds a master's degree in science journalism from New York University, and a bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Hawaii. His work covers all areas of science, from the quirky mating behaviors of different animals, to the drug and alcohol habits of ancient cultures, to new advances in solar cell technology. On a more personal note, Joseph has had a near-obsession with video games for as long as he can remember, and is probably playing a game at this very moment.