BACK TO cofactor
cofactor vs. coenzyme
cofactor vs. coenzyme: What's the difference?
A cofactor is a substance that’s associated with an enzyme and allows it to function, often by changing its shape or participating in the biochemical reactions that the enzyme produces. A coenzyme is a type of cofactor that provides the transfer site for such biochemical reactions.
[ koh-fak-ter ]
noun
- any of various organic or inorganic substances necessary to the function of an enzyme.
- Mathematics.
- a prefactor or postfactor.
- the product of the minor of a given element of a matrix times −1 raised to the power of the sum of the indices of the row and column crossed out in forming the minor.
[ koh-en-zahym ]
noun
- a molecule that provides the transfer site for biochemical reactions catalyzed by an enzyme.