In chemistry and biology, catalysis is the acceleration (increase in rate) of a chemical reaction by means of a substance, called a catalyst, that is itself not consumed by the overall reaction.
See also:
A catalyst decreases the activation energy of a chemical reaction.
Catalysts participate in reactions but are neither reactants nor products of the reaction they catalyze.
An exception is the process of autocatalysis where the product of a reaction helps to accelerate the same reaction.
They work by providing an alternative pathway for the reaction to occur, thus reducing the activation energy and increasing the reaction rate..
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