Question

Coenzyme is …….
A. Vitamin
B. Protein
C. Organic compound
D. Metal

Answer 1

Hint: An enzyme is a biocatalyst. It increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself being changed in the overall process. Enzymes are commonly proteins and they are highly specific. Enzymes work with substrates, which are molecules binding themselves to a part of enzymes creating a chemical reaction.

Complete answer:
The enzyme has a protein part which is not active, that is apoenzyme. It can get activated by the insertion of an organic/inorganic cofactor. The complete biologically active conjugated enzyme (simple enzyme + cofactor ) is called a holoenzyme. The cofactor is a non-protein component. It consists of metal ions or organic chemicals. Some cofactors are simple metal ions and other cofactors are complex organic compounds, which are also called a coenzyme. Many coenzymes are vitamins or they have vitamins as part of their structure. Thus coenzymes are composed of organic compounds.
Vitamin – it is the wrong answer because coenzyme may have or may not have vitamin in their structure.
Protein – it is the wrong answer because coenzymes are non precious.
Organic compound – it is the correct option.
Metal – Metals are related to the cofactor. So it is the wrong option.

The correct option is C) organic compound.

Note: We can say that coenzyme is a helper molecule that aids an enzyme in catalyzing a chemical reaction.
Enzymes are proteins but coenzymes are small and nonprotein molecules.
Examples of coenzymes - B vitamins and S-adenosylmethionine.