Enzyme inhibitors are substances that decrease the activity of enzymes, which are proteins that speed up chemical reactions in the body. By binding to an enzyme, inhibitors can prevent it from catalyzing its specific reaction, thereby slowing down or stopping the process. This can be important in regulating metabolic pathways and maintaining balance in biological systems. There are two main types of enzyme inhibitors: competitive and non-competitive. Competitive inhibitors resemble the enzyme's natural substrate and compete for the active site, while non-competitive inhibitors bind to a different part of the enzyme, altering its function. Understanding these inhibitors is crucial in fields like pharmacology, where they can be used to develop drugs that target specific enzymes.