Acetylcholine

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  acetylcholine \acetylcholine\ n.
     1. a neurotransmitter released by the transmitting dendron at
        autononmous synapses and at neuromuscular junctions. It is
        a quaternary amine with an obligatory negative counterion.
        The nominal formula for the hydroxide form is {C7H17NO3}.
        Structural formula {(CH3)3N(+)CH2CH2.O.CO.CH3.OH(-)}.


  
     Note: Acetylcholine is the first recognized and best-studied
           of the neurotransmitters. At receptors it is recycled
           into choline by the action of acetylcholinesterase.
           Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors therefore function as
           nerve poisons. For biochemical studies it is prepared
           typically in the chloride or bromide forms.
           [WordNet 1.5 +PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  acetylcholine
       n : a neurotransmitter that is a derivative of choline; released
           at the ends of nerve fibers in the somatic and
           parasympathetic nervous systems