The document discusses several nuclear fusion reactions that occur in stars, including the proton-proton chain reaction, alpha process, CNO cycle, and triple-alpha process. The proton-proton chain reaction fuses hydrogen into helium. The alpha process fuses helium into heavier elements. The CNO cycle is another reaction that fuses hydrogen into helium using carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen as catalysts. The triple-alpha process fuses three helium nuclei into carbon.