Sulfa drugs like Bactrim, given for bacterial infections, inhibit bacteria by blocking folic acid synthesis.The precursor molecule of folic acid is para-amino benzoic acid (PABA).Interestingly, PABA has a structure very similar to a sulfa drug.If a sulfa drug is present, the bacterial enzyme will bind the sulfa drug because of structural similarity.This is an example of ______.

Question

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This is an example of competitive inhibition, where the sulfa drug competes with PABA for binding sites on the bacterial enzyme involved in folic acid synthesis.

Sulfa Drugs Like Bactrim, Given for Bacterial Infections, Inhibit Bacteria