Co-factors, co-enzymes and prosthetic groups
Chemical constituents of living cells · Biology
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Carbonic anhydrase needs a zinc ion (co-factor) to convert CO2 to bicarbonate in your blood — without zinc, the enzyme is useless. Many B-vitamin-derived co-enzymes (like NAD from niacin) carry electrons in respiration, and haem (a prosthetic group with iron) sits permanently inside haemoglobin to hold oxygen.