How is it that two different molecules can fit into a slot when one causes something to happen and the other just sits there doing nothing?
Extra question: what mechanism cleans up the inhibitor? Let’s say with an SSRI?
In:
Think of the molecule as a key and the receptor as a lock. The “real” key will always be able to open the lock as intended. However, there are some keys that coincidentally have a similar shape to the “real” key, but not similar enough to open the lock. So when you try to open the lock with the similar key, instead of opening the lock, it gets jammed and it gets stuck. The lock is still locked while the key is stuck, which is a metaphor for how the inhibitor just gets stuck in the receptor without causing a biological effect.
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