Why are Vitamins Essential for Enzymatic Reactions?
Vitamins are essential for enzymatic reactions because they provide the necessary chemical groups that facilitate the transformation of substrates into products. For example, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) is converted into Thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP), which is crucial for the decarboxylation of alpha-keto acids in carbohydrate metabolism. Without these vitamins, the enzymes would be unable to perform their catalytic functions efficiently.
