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Catalyst

Definition

noun, plural catalyst

A substance capable of initiating or speeding up a chemical reaction.


Supplement

Chemical reaction can proceed spontaneously even without a catalyst but it would be too slow. The presence of a catalyst can make chemical reactions proceed faster by a factor of several million times. The catalyst may be chemically transformed but only transiently during the reaction. By the end of the reaction, the catalyst is regenerated unchanged, and unconsumed in the reaction. An example of catalyst is an enzyme used by biological reactions.


Word origin: from catalysis ยป from Gk. kata "down" + -lysis "a loosening".

Related forms: catalytic (adjective), catalysis (noun), catalyze (verb).
Related terms: organic catalyst, raney catalyst.

Compare: inhibitor.


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Re: Darwin and Racism

... As for the events that I told you about--I have no problem with capillary dilation or even chemical reaction, as my son is biological. There was a catalyst though and it was not medicine. If I have a fever and I take aspirin--and then my fever goes down--I attribute the fact that the medicine has ...

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by AFJ
Mon Jul 20, 2009 9:24 am
 
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Enzymes and activation energy.

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by NewtoBiology
Wed Jul 08, 2009 2:09 am
 
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enzyme question

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by canalon
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