What are substances that alter the growth or development of a plant or animal, excluding fertilizers or food?

Growth regulators are substances specifically designed to influence the growth and development of plants or animals by either enhancing or inhibiting certain physiological processes. These substances can modify plant growth patterns, promote flowering, or prevent premature fruit drop, among other effects. Unlike fertilizers or food, which primarily serve to provide nutrients, growth regulators function at a hormonal level and manipulate growth responses.

In this context, other options like pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides serve different purposes. Pesticides generally target various types of pests that may harm plants, while herbicides are specifically designed to kill or inhibit unwanted plant species (weeds). Fungicides aim to control or eliminate fungi that can cause plant diseases. Although these substances are important in agricultural and horticultural practices, they do not primarily alter the natural growth or development processes of plants or animals in the way that growth regulators do.