Ethylene - Dormancy

Ripening of fruits involves a chain of cellular events like:

• Rise in the rate of respiration,
• Breakdown of higher carbohydrates into carboxylic acids, chlorophyll breaks down, other pigments become prominent (carotene, xanthophyll, lycopene),
• Break down of proteins into amino acids,
• Formation of sugars from polysaccharides like starch that is why ripe fruits are sweet in mango, banana and sour in citrus (contains carboxylic acids),
• Decay of cell wall and organelles. All these events are mediated through a number of enzymes which means activation or denovo synthesis of enzymes is an integral part of hormone action,
• Causes sex change in flowers.