Auxins are a type of plant hormone that play a crucial role in growth and development. They help regulate various processes, such as cell elongation, root formation, and fruit development. By promoting cell division and elongation, auxins enable plants to grow towards light, a phenomenon known as phototropism. These hormones are produced mainly in the tips of shoots and roots, where they influence the direction of growth. When light shines on one side of a plant, auxins accumulate on the shaded side, causing those cells to elongate more and resulting in the plant bending towards the light source.