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Competitive Binding

Meaning

Competitive Binding is a fundamental pharmacological and physiological principle describing the situation where two or more molecules vie for the exact same specific binding site on a receptor, enzyme, or transport protein. The molecule possessing the higher affinity or the greater concentration will occupy the site more frequently, thereby directly modulating the resulting biological signal. This concept is central to understanding the action of many endogenous hormones and pharmaceutical agents, including selective receptor modulators and antagonists.