Prosthetic Group

Name:
Prosthetic Group
Detailed information:
A chemical grouping in which a metal ion is associated with a large molecule or molecular complex, e.g., coenzymes and metal-porphyrin complexes such as chlorophyll and hemin. Such groups activate metabolic mechanisms such as phosphorylation, decarboxylation, etc., by coordination reactions with amino acids, proteins, enzymes, and nucleic acids. The behavior of certain vitamins and other metabolites is due in part to prosthetic groups; catalysis is also involved.