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Definition of "cofactor" [cofactor]

  • One of two or more contributing factors. (noun)
  • A substance, such as a metallic ion or coenzyme, that must be associated with an enzyme for the enzyme to function. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "cofactor" in a sentence
  • "Enzymatic methane production involves the tiny molecule deazaflavin, known as cofactor F0 or cofactor F420."
  • ""It took several years, but at last we were able to recreate in the test tube what happens inside mycobacterial cells when the bacterial enzyme, which we named Ddn, and a second bacterial component called a cofactor, interact with PA-824," says Dr. Barry."
  • "PQQ is a substance that was discovered in 1979 as a cofactor in bacterial enzyme activity."