🇺🇸
/ˈæbsɪsɪn/
🇺🇸
/ˈæbsɪsɪn/
🇬🇧
/əbˈsɪsɪn/
🇬🇧
/əbˈsɪsɪn/
Plural
abscisins
Abscisin is an obsolete but historically important name for abscisic acid (ABA), a vital plant hormone that helps plants cope with stress—like drought or cold—by closing stomata, slowing growth, and triggering seed dormancy or leaf shedding. Think of it as the plant's 'pause button' during tough times.
Early researchers mistakenly named abscisic acid 'abscisin' because they first observed it triggering leaf drop in cotton plants.
Although 'abscisin' is rarely used today, older botanical literature often refers to the hormone by this name.
The discovery of abscisin in the 1960s revolutionized our understanding of how plants respond to environmental stress.
Abscisin concentrations spike in wilting leaves, signaling the plant to conserve water.
Unlike growth-promoting hormones like auxin, abscisin acts as a general inhibitor of plant development.
abscis-
Comes from the Latin verb 'abscindere' (past participle 'abscisus'), meaning 'to cut off' or 'to sever'. It conveys the core concept of separation, detachment, or removal. Examples include abscission, abscise, abscisic acid, abscissile.
-in
A suffix of Latin and Greek origin used in biochemistry to denote substances, especially natural organic compounds (often hormones or proteins). It originates from Latin '-īnus' (adjectival) and was adopted into English scientific nomenclature via German/French. Examples include insulin, melanin, collagen, actin, abscisin.