Enzyme inhibition refers to the process by which a molecule, known as an inhibitor, decreases or completely stops the activity of an enzyme. This can affect reaction rates and pathways, impacting overall metabolic processes. Understanding enzyme inhibition is crucial because it helps illustrate how enzymes function and how their activity can be modulated, which relates closely to the kinetics of reactions, particularly in zero-order reactions where the rate is constant and independent of substrate concentration.
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