Coenzymes cofactors and prosthetic groups

What are cofactors and how are they helpful

Cofactors are inorganic molecules which help enzyme and substrate bind together and do not directly participate so are not used up or change

What is precursor activation

Many enzymes initially ‘precursor’ enzyme and only activated in correct conditions, cofactors are added to change tertiary structure in active site

What are coenzymes and how are they useful

They are organic molecules often vitamin molecule, they bind temporarily to active site before or the same time substrate binds, and reduce activation energy by transferring chemical groups. They are chemically changed and need to be recycled to original state.

Some vitamins derived from coenzymes which you need to know

What are prosthetic groups and how are they helpful

These are permanent cofactors bound by covalent bonds and stabilise their structure ensuring active site functions properly. Enzyme carbonic anhydrase contains Zn²⁺ which helps enzyme catalyse reactions properly