Unit 6
Vitamins and Cofactors

Overview

In this brief unit, we consider vitamins—organic molecules that are not proteins, or carbohydrates, or lipids, but that are crucial to biological function. Vitamins may supply substances that are needed directly by the body, or they may function as “cofactors,” working with other molecules to induce chemical reactions.

Objectives

After completing this unit, you should be able to

  1. define “vitamin” and “cofactor.”
  2. describe the function of vitamins and cofactors, and provide examples of each group.

Glossary

antioxidant molecule that scavenges and removes free radicals from the body
catalyst chemical substance that facilitates (or slows) a chemical process, but is unchanged by the process
coenzyme small, nonprotein group attached to an enzyme; the site on the enzyme where catalysis occurs
cofactor organic molecule that acts as a coenzyme
deficiency disease disease caused by an inadequacy in the body’s supply of a vitamin
essential nutrient nutrient that cannot be synthesized by the body, but must be supplied through the diet
free radical negatively charged molecule; implicated in the development of cancer
vitamin small, organic molecule that an organism cannot synthesize; vitamins are the precursors of some of the coenzymes
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