Tamoxifen is a breast-cancer drug that binds to the estrogen receptor.When in the body,tamoxifen binds to the estrogen receptor for much longer than the patient's own estrogen.Tamoxifen stays bound for so long that it prevents the binding of circulating estrogen to its receptor.Tamoxifen must have a higher ________ for the estrogen receptor than estrogen.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Affinity refers to the strength of binding between a ligand and its receptor. Therefore, tamoxifen must have a higher affinity for the estrogen receptor than estrogen to stay bound for a longer time and prevent estrogen from binding.

Tamoxifen Is a Breast-Cancer Drug That Binds to the Estrogen