Question

What do you mean by coenzymes?

Answer 1

A coenzyme is a non-protein compound required for an enzyme to function properly. It binds to the enzyme as a catalyst to increase the reaction rate. Coenzymes always function alongside enzymes and cannot operate independently. However, the exact same coenzyme molecule can be reused multiple times.

Many coenzymes are either vitamins or derived directly from them. Therefore, a low intake of vitamins results in a lack of the coenzymes needed to catalyse reactions. Water-soluble vitamins, including vitamin C and all B complex vitamins, help in producing coenzymes. Two of the most crucial and common vitamin-derived coenzymes are Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD) and coenzyme A.