adjective
ChemistrySee autocatalysis
‘This is a complex autocatalytic oxidation-reduction reaction in which one of the active species changes color on oxidation.’
- ‘A change in the gene - a mutation - results not in the destruction of its autocatalytic power but in a modification of the autocatalytic process that now duplicates the altered gene.’
- ‘The observations also suggest that ethylene in ripening is regulated entirely in an autocatalytic manner.’
- ‘At elevated oxygen pressures, beta-carotene loses its antioxidant activity and shows an autocatalytic pro-oxidant effect.’
- ‘If the catalyst itself is the product of biological processes, the reaction cycle is called autocatalytic.’
- ‘During the autocatalytic cycle of growth and reproduction of higher plants, the embryo in the seed grows, under suitable conditions, to form a plant with leaves and roots.’
Are You Learning English? Here Are Our Top English Tips