COFACTOR Definition & Meaning

cofactor

[ koh-fak-ter ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Biochemistry. any of various organic or inorganic substances necessary to the function of an enzyme.
Mathematics.
1. a prefactor or postfactor.
2. 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.

cofactor

/ ˈ��əʊˌ��æ��ə /

noun

maths a number associated with an element in a square matrix, equal to the determinant of the matrix formed by removing the row and column in which the element appears from the given determinant See minor
biochem a nonprotein substance that forms a complex with certain enzymes and is essential for their activity. It may be a metal ion or a coenzyme

cofactor

/ ��ō′��ă��′tə�� /

A substance, such as a metallic ion or a coenzyme, that must be associated with an enzyme for the enzyme to function. Cofactors work by changing the shape of an enzyme or by actually participating in the enzymatic reaction.

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of cofactor¹

First recorded in 1935–40; co- + factor

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Example Sentences

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Copper is an essential cofactor for a variety of enzymes that play a role in the growth and development of cells.

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Researchers at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, have identified how such a cofactor, the so-called hydrogen cluster, is assembled.

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Or it could be a cofactor, but on its own it wouldn’t be causal.

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You may also want to consider selenium, a trace mineral that’s a cofactor in a free radical-quenching enzyme called glutathione peroxidase.

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Usually, it becomes linked to the molecule coenzyme A to form methylmalonyl-CoA, and is converted to succinyl-CoA in a reaction that involves vitamin B12 as a cofactor.

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