AUTOCATALYSIS Meaning and
Definition
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Autocatalysis is a chemical process in which a reaction is catalyzed by one of the products it generates. In other words, it refers to a self-sustaining reaction in which the products of the reaction act as catalysts themselves, accelerating the reaction further.
The fundamental characteristic of an autocatalytic reaction is positive feedback, where the rate of the reaction increases as the concentration of the products increases. This positive feedback loop allows autocatalytic reactions to generate more and more products over time, leading to exponential growth.
Autocatalysis plays a significant role in various fields, including chemistry, biology, and engineering. In chemistry, it is often observed in organic synthesis reactions and can be exploited to improve reaction efficiency. In biology, autocatalytic reactions are involved in important processes such as enzyme cascades and biochemical pathways.
Moreover, autocatalytic reactions have applications in engineering, particularly in the production of energy and in the creation of self-replicating systems. Autocatalytic reactions have been investigated for their potential use in the field of nanotechnology, where they can contribute to the fabrication of self-assembling and self-replicating nanostructures.
The concept of autocatalysis is crucial in understanding complex systems and self-perpetuating processes. It highlights the role of feedback loops and interconnections within a system, where the products of a reaction not only signal the progression of the reaction but also actively promote it.
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Catalysis in which certain of its products act themselves as catalysts, thus hastening or modifying the process.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for AUTOCATALYSIS
- zutocatalysis
- sutocatalysis
- wutocatalysis
- qutocatalysis
- aytocatalysis
- ahtocatalysis
- ajtocatalysis
- aitocatalysis
- a8tocatalysis
- a7tocatalysis
- aurocatalysis
- aufocatalysis
- augocatalysis
- auyocatalysis
- au6ocatalysis
- au5ocatalysis
- auticatalysis
- autkcatalysis
- autlcatalysis
Etymology of AUTOCATALYSIS
The word "autocatalysis" is derived from the Greek prefix "auto-" meaning "self", and the word "catalysis".
The term "catalysis" itself originates from the Greek word "katalysis", which means "dissolution" or "a bringing down". It was later adopted in the field of chemistry to describe the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction through the presence of a substance called a catalyst.
When the prefix "auto-" is combined with "catalysis", it forms "autocatalysis", which refers to a self-catalyzing reaction. Autocatalysis occurs when a reaction product acts as a catalyst for the same reaction, resulting in an increasing rate of that specific reaction over time.
Similar spelling word for AUTOCATALYSIS
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