A student is conducting an experiment in which he adds an inhibitor to an enzyme-catalyzed reaction that contains alkaline phosp
hatase. When the student first adds the inhibitor, the reaction rate decreases, however, he can return the reaction rate to normal by adding a large quantity of substrate. What type of inhibitor is the student using, non-competitive or competitive?
An inhibitor is a substance that hinders the action of an enzyme. An inhibitor may be competitive or non competitive.
A competitive inhibitor is an inhibitor that is very similar to the substrate hence it binds to the enzyme instead of the substrate. A noncompetitive inhibitor binds to a site that is different from the active site. This site is called an allosteric site.
If we look at the experiment described in the question, the reaction rate decreases upon addition of the inhibitor. This effect is reversed by adding a large quantity of substrate.
The implication of this observation is that the enzyme and the inhibitor compete for the active site on the substrate.
Single-evidence form dedicates a page for each item retrieved for a case; it allows investigators to add more detail about exactly what was done to the evidence each time it was taken from the storage locker.
