n. pl. locÂ·ules or locÂ·uÂ·li (-lÄ«â²). A small cavity or compartment within an organ or part of an animal or plant, as any of the cavities within a plant ovary. [Latin.
Competitive inhibition is a form of enzyme inhibition where binding of the inhibitor to the active site on the enzyme prevents binding of the substrate and vice versa. Most competitive inhibitors function by binding reversibly to the active site of the enzyme.
The interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, IL-1Ra is an example of a competitive antagonist. The effects of a competitive antagonist may be overcome by increasing the concentration of agonist. Often (though not always) these antagonists possess a very similar chemical structure to that of the agonist.n antagonist that binds to the active site of a receptor is said to be non-competitive if the bond between the active site and the antagonist is irreversible or nearly so.