Oscillating Chemical Reactions

Oscillations in Chemistry

A number of chemical oscillators have been produced and studied. They are models of oscillations in biological systems. The most famous oscillating reaction is the Zabotinsky-Belusov reaction. The following references are to Rubin R. Aliev's WWW pages. Click here for a biography of Belusov. Click here for more information.

Chemical Oscillations in Nature

Chemical oscillations are responsible for the ubiquous appearance of periodicities in biological systems. Examples are

  1. The buzz in the cicadia and its temperature dependence.
  2. Probably the seven year birth cycle of the cicada.
  3. Circadian rhythms such as the sleep cycle.
  4. Breathing.
  5. The heart beat.
Using principles of chemical kinetics we should be able to understand some of the features behind these important natural oscillators.

A Two Step Mechanism

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