Vitamin (include why they are important to enzymes and what this relationship is called)?

Question

I'm supposed to be defining the word and explaining it. I'm not sure how to answer.

Answer 1

Vitamins are cofactors. Cofactors stabilize the structure of the enzyme so that its active site remains fairly stable and in proper configuration to let the substrate in for catalysis.
A coenzyme may be involved in group transfer.

Answer 2

Vitamins can be processed into "coenzymes" that are needed for an enzyme to function properly. Some of them, anyhow. Some, like vitamins C/E, bind to free oxygen. Others, like vitamin K, are used alongside proteins.

But if a vitamin is a coenzyme...

... if the vitamin is required to turn off the enzyme, it's an inhibitor
... if the vitamin is required to turn on the enzyme, the enzyme is called an allosteric enzyme

Poke around on the internet for more details

Answer 3

Coenzymes are small organic non-protein molecules that carry chemical groups between enzymes.

Coenzymes are consumed in the reactions in which they are substrates, for example: the coenzyme NADH is converted to NAD+ by oxidoreductases. Coenzymes are however regenerated and their concentration maintained at a steady level in the cell.

A special subset of coenzymes are prosthetic groups. These have more in common with cofactors since they are tightly bound to enzymes and are not released as part of the reaction. Prosthetic groups include molybdopterin, lipoamide and biotin.

TYPES OF CO ENZYMES

Vitamin and nucleotide derivatives

* Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C)

* Coenzyme A - Contains pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5) and ATP

* Coenzyme B12

* Riboflavin (B2) - FAD and FMN

* Thiamine pyrophosphate (B1)

* NAD and NADP - Contain both a nucleotide and a Niacin (vitaimin B3) moiety.

* Folic acid


Not related to vitamins

* Coenzyme Q. (Coenzyme Q is unusual as it carries electrons between enzymes by diffusing within cell membranes, as this coenzyme is not water soluble. )

* Molybdopterin

MECHANISM OF ACTION

A coenzyme may either be attached by covalent bonds to a particular enzyme or exist freely in solution, but in either case it participates intimately in the chemical reactions catalyzed by the enzyme. Often a coenzyme is structurally altered in the course of these reactions, but it is always restored to its original form in subsequent reactions catalyzed by other enzyme systems.

Answer 4

A lot of vitamins are classified as coenzymes, which facilitate the reaction of enzyme based biological processes, usually by transport of some of the reactants to or from the process.