COMPETITIVE INHIBITION Meaning and
Definition
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Competitive inhibition is a mechanism in biochemistry where a molecule, known as an inhibitor, competes with a substrate for binding to an enzyme's active site. Enzymes are protein catalysts that facilitate chemical reactions in living organisms. The active site is the specific region of the enzyme where the substrate binds and undergoes a chemical change. In competitive inhibition, the inhibitor molecule closely resembles the substrate and fits into the active site, but it does not undergo any further reaction.
The inhibitor and substrate are both typically small molecules that share chemical similarity, allowing them to compete for binding to the enzyme. However, only the substrate can be converted into a product, as the inhibitor does not undergo any chemical alteration. The presence of the inhibitor therefore reduces the amount of substrate that can bind to the enzyme and slows down the rate of the catalyzed reaction.
Competitive inhibition can be reversible or irreversible, depending on the strength of the inhibitor's binding to the enzyme. Reversible competitive inhibitors bind non-covalently to the enzyme and can be displaced from the active site by increasing the concentration of the substrate. Irreversible competitive inhibitors, on the other hand, form covalent bonds with the enzyme, permanently inactivating it.
The study of competitive inhibition is critical in drug discovery and design, as drugs often work by competitively inhibiting enzymes involved in disease-causing processes. It also provides insights into the control and regulation of enzyme activity in various biological pathways.
Common Misspellings for COMPETITIVE INHIBITION
- xompetitive inhibition
- vompetitive inhibition
- fompetitive inhibition
- dompetitive inhibition
- cimpetitive inhibition
- ckmpetitive inhibition
- clmpetitive inhibition
- cpmpetitive inhibition
- c0mpetitive inhibition
- c9mpetitive inhibition
- conpetitive inhibition
- cokpetitive inhibition
- cojpetitive inhibition
- comoetitive inhibition
- comletitive inhibition
- com0etitive inhibition
- compwtitive inhibition
- compstitive inhibition
- compdtitive inhibition
- comprtitive inhibition
Etymology of COMPETITIVE INHIBITION
The word "competitive" in "competitive inhibition" originates from the Latin word "competere", which means to strive together or to compete. In this context, it refers to the competition between two substances, namely the inhibitor and the substrate, for binding to the enzyme's active site.
The term "inhibition" comes from the Latin word "inhibitio", which means a restraining or holding back. In the context of enzyme activity, it refers to the process of reducing or stopping the catalytic activity of an enzyme.
Therefore, "competitive inhibition" describes the process in which an inhibitor molecule competes with the substrate for binding to the active site of an enzyme, resulting in a reduced enzymatic activity.
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