autocatalysis
/ˌɔːtoʊkəˈtæləsɪs/
noun
- A chemical reaction in which one of the products acts as a catalyst to speed up the reaction itself.
- The process of autocatalysis is important in understanding how complex molecules can form in nature.
- In autocatalysis, the reaction starts slowly and then accelerates as more catalyst is produced.
- Scientists studied autocatalysis to explain how early life might have emerged from simple chemicals.