cofactor

[ koh-fak-ter ]

noun

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

/ ˈkəʊˌfæktə /

noun

1. 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
2. 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

/ kō′făk′tər /

1. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cofactor¹

First recorded in 1935–40; co- + factor

Example Sentences

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

From Science Daily

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

From Science Daily

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

From Science Magazine

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

From New York Times

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.

From Nature