{"id":20806,"date":"2017-04-03T21:59:23","date_gmt":"2017-04-03T21:59:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.oracletutoring.ca\/blog\/?p=20806"},"modified":"2017-04-03T21:59:23","modified_gmt":"2017-04-03T21:59:23","slug":"biology-what-is-competitive-inhibition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oracletutoring.ca\/blog\/biology-what-is-competitive-inhibition\/","title":{"rendered":"Biology: what is competitive inhibition?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tutoring biology, you might be asked about competitive inhibition. The tutor explains it.<\/h1>\n

In my November 25, 2013 post,<\/a> I explain what an enzyme is. Simply put, an enzyme is a biological catalyst that the body uses to speed up a chemical process. An enzyme is not consumed by the reaction, but works alongside it, so can be reused.<\/p>\n

Competitive inhibition<\/em> reduces the effectiveness of an enzyme, possibly with fatality. Along with some preliminary ideas, here’s how it happens:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The molecule an enzyme works on is called the substrate<\/em>. The enzyme speeds the transformation of the substrate into what the body needs.<\/li>\n
  2. The substrate, normally, binds to the enzyme at what’s called the enzyme’s active site<\/em> in order for the enzyme to work on it.<\/li>\n
  3. Therefore, let’s imagine that enzyme E works on substrate S to make necessary molecule M.<\/li>\n
  4. Once S transforms to M, enzyme E is released; E is not attracted to M.<\/li>\n
  5. Competitive inhibition starts with the arrival of a different substrate, \u00acS, that is\n