Final answer:
Substances that interfere with enzyme activity by binding to the enzyme and preventing substrate binding or catalysis are inhibiting the enzyme's ability to function. These inhibitors can be competitive, noncompetitive, or irreversible.
Step-by-step explanation:
Substances that bind to the enzyme and interfere with substrate binding or catalysis are known to be inhibiting enzyme activity. Enzyme activity is crucial for increasing reaction rates within living organisms. Factors like temperature, pH, and concentrations of substrates or enzymes can all influence how effectively an enzyme functions. However, when inhibitors are present, they can bind to the enzyme, often at the active site, and either prevent substrate from binding or slow the reaction process. This can happen through competitive or noncompetitive inhibition. In competitive inhibition, the inhibitor and substrate compete for the same active site on the enzyme, while in noncompetitive inhibition, the inhibitor binds to a different part of the enzyme, changing its shape and affecting its activity. Irreversible inhibitors bind permanently to the enzyme, causing long-term loss of function.