Prosthetic Group

Prosthetic Group Definition:

A nonprotein unit attached to a protein, such as heme in hemoglobin.

Prosthetic Group Explained:

A tightly bind, particular non-polypeptide unit required for the biological function of some protein. The prosthetic group may be organic (such as a vitamin, saccharide, or lipid) or inorganic (such as an alloy ion), but is not composed of amino acids.