Description
The phytohormone gibberellic acid (GA) is well known to promote seed germination in plants. One of its functions is to stimulate the production of hydrolytic enzymes in the aleurone and their secretion to the adjacent endosperm. The storage in the endosperm is thus degraded by these hydrolases into small molecules, which are utilized as nutrients for embryo growth to establish the young seedling. ABA in contrast plays antagonistic role to GA to keep seed in dormancy.