Question

Ethylene is a secondary metabolite involved in

• A. Preserving fruits
• B. Drying fruits
• C. Cooking fruits
• D. Ripening fruits

Hint:

Ethylene ($\text{C}_2\text{H}_4$) = Natural fruit ripening gaseous hormone. Commercially applied as Ethephon Ethrel.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Plant growth regulators include gaseous phytohormones that initiate physiological climacteric ripening cascades in fleshy fruits.
Key Formula or Approach:
\[ \text{Methionine} \longrightarrow \text{SAM} \longrightarrow \text{ACC} \xrightarrow{\text{ACC Oxidase}} \text{Ethylene } (\text{C}_2\text{H}_4) \]

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Ethylene ($\text{C}_2\text{H}_4$) is a natural gaseous plant hormone ripening promoter synthesized in plant tissues.
In climacteric fruits (such as bananas, mangoes, tomatoes, and apples):
Ethylene triggers an upsurge in cellular respiration (climacteric rise), activates pectinases to soften cell walls, converts starch into soluble sugars, and degrades chlorophyll while synthesizing carotenoids/anthocyanins, thereby driving fruit ripening.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Thus, ethylene is involved in Ripening fruits, matching option (D).