Where Do Agonists Bind

An agonist binds to the receptor and produces an effect within the cell. An antagonist may bind to the same receptor, but does not produce a response, instead it blocks that receptor to a natural agonist.

Where do antagonist drugs bind?

Competitive antagonists bind to receptors at the same binding site (active site) as the endogenous ligand or agonist, but without activating the receptor. Agonists and antagonists “compete” for the same binding site on the receptor. Once bound, an antagonist will block agonist binding.

How do agonists function?

An agonist is a compound that can bind to and cause activation of a receptor, thus mimicking an endogenous ligand or neurotransmitter.