What are enzyme inhibitors (competitive and non-competitive)?

Question

Jeremiah Allen · Accepted Answer

Inhibit the enzymes function thus becomes inactive or reduces its efficiency.

Competitive inhibitors are molecules which are very similar to the enzymes natural substrate, and thus compete for the active site. As a result, the the inhibitor binds to the active site and remains their, preventing further reactions.

The enzyme may react with the inhibitor and release the products as it would usually do to its substrate, thus the inhibitor and substrate compete for the active site.

Non-Competitive inhibitors bind to an allosteric site of the enzyme (A site on the enzyme which is not the active one). This results in a conformational change of the protein, distorting the active site and thus is unable to bind the substrate. So long as the non-competitive inhibitor is bound, the enzyme remains inactive.

Ruby Armstrong · Answer

undefined Enzyme inhibitors are molecules that hinder enzyme activity. Competitive inhibitors compete for the active site, while non-competitive inhibitors bind elsewhere, altering the enzyme's shape.