Thread: What is an inhibitor?

Hello everyone.

I'm not sure if I put this in the right sub-forum. I just figured, since it is used in medicine, I could ask here.

What is an inhibitor, exactly? Is it a kind of virus? A chemical? And how exactly is it used? And what exactly does it do (I mean, I know it "inhibits" a chemical reaction from occurring, but in what way?)

I hope you guys are also easy with explaining the answers. I tried Googling the information, but the sources are overwhelmingly complicated. I'm a college sophomore, and I study political science so medicine is totally out of my league (though I'm finding it more and more interesting).

Thank you.

There are many different types of inhibitors. Some are proteins in the cell, others are pharmaceuticals, and so on. Can you provide more context?

Generally, an inhibitor refers to a substance which prevents the action of either an enzyme or a surface protein/receptor hence inducing the relevant pharmacological response.

A SUBSTANCES THAT SLOWS DOWN OR STOPS A CHEMICAL REACTION!

Originally Posted by Robbie

Generally, an inhibitor refers to a substance which prevents the action of either an enzyme or a surface protein/receptor hence inducing the relevant pharmacological response.

I think you hit the nail on the head with "receptor". An inhibitor is anything that blocks a receptor from receiving its intended target (whether protein or not). Pain meds work by blocking the pain receptors in the brain, for example. Hope this helps.