Cytokinins are substances close to purine bases (substituted adenins). It is a family of phytohormones essential for the development of the plant as well as auxin, which acts as hormones in plants.

Kinetin is a cytokinin-like synthetic compound that regulates cell growth in plants. Kinetin was the first cytokinin discovered. It is also adenine-based.

It was given the name kinetin because of its ability to induce cell division, provided that auxin was present in the medium. Kinetin is often used in plant tissue culture for inducing formation of callus (in conjunction with auxin) and to regenerate shoot tissues from callus (with lower auxin concentration).

It was shown to naturally exist in DNA of organisms including humans and various plants. While kinetin is used in tissue cultures to produce new plants, it is also found in cosmetic products as an anti-aging agents.