An
enzyme inhibitor is a
molecule that binds to an
enzyme and decreases its
activity. Since blocking an enzyme's activity can kill a
pathogen or correct a
metabolic imbalance, many drugs are enzyme inhibitors. They are also used in
pesticides. Not all molecules that bind to enzymes are inhibitors;
enzyme activators bind to enzymes and increase their
enzymatic activity, while enzyme substrates bind and are converted to products in the normal catalytic cycle of the enzyme.