Autocatalyse
Autocatalyse is a process where a reaction product also acts as a catalyst for the reaction itself. This means that as the reaction proceeds and produces more of its own product, the rate of the reaction increases. Autocatalytic reactions are characterized by a period of slow initial rate, followed by an acceleration in speed as the concentration of the product catalyst builds up. Eventually, the reaction rate may slow down again as reactants are depleted.
This phenomenon can be observed in various chemical and biological systems. In chemistry, autocatalytic reactions are
In biology, autocatalysis plays a crucial role in many fundamental processes. The replication of DNA is a