[(2R,3S,4R)-5-(5,6-dimethylbenzimidazol-1-yl)-2-(hydroxymethyl)-4-oxidanyl-oxolan-3-yl] [(2R)-1-[3-[(1R,2R,3R,5Z,7S,10Z,12S,13S,15Z,17S,18S,19R)-2,13,18-tris(2-azanyl-2-oxidanylidene-ethyl)-7,12,17-tris(3-azanyl-3-oxidanylidene-propyl)-3,5,8,8,3,15,18,19-octamethyl-2,7,12,17-tetrahydro-1H-corrin-24-id-3-yl]propanoylamino]propan-2-yl] phosphate
A cobalt-containing coordination compound produced by intestinal micro-organisms and found also in soil and water. Higher plants do not concentrate vitamin B 12 from the soil and so are a poor source of the substance as compared with animal tissues. INTRINSIC FACTOR is important for the assimilation of vitamin B 12.