acetylcholine

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acetylcholine

acetylcholine , a small organic molecule liberated at nerve endings as a neurotransmitter . It is particularly important in the stimulation of muscle tissue. The transmission of an impulse to the end of the nerve causes it to release neurotransmitter molecules onto the surface of the next cell, stimulating it. After such release, the acetylcholine is quickly broken into acetate and choline, which pass back to the first cell to be recycled into acetylcholine again. The poison curare acts by blocking the transmission of acetylcholine. Some nerve gases operate by preventing the breakdown of acetylcholine causing continual stimulation of the receptor cells, which leads to intense spasms of the muscles, including the heart. Acetylcholine is often abbreviated as Ach. See nervous system .

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acetylcholine

A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition | 2005 | | Â© A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition 2005, originally published by Oxford University Press 2005. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

acetylcholine The acetyl derivative of choline, produced at cholinergic nerve endings both in the brain, where it acts as a chemical transmitter, and at the junctions between nerves and muscles, where it stimulates muscle contraction.

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DAVID A. BENDER. "acetylcholine." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 22 Nov. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

DAVID A. BENDER. "acetylcholine." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (November 22, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-acetylcholine.html

DAVID A. BENDER. "acetylcholine." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Retrieved November 22, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-acetylcholine.html

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acetylcholine

A Dictionary of Nursing | 2008 | Â© A Dictionary of Nursing 2008, originally published by Oxford University Press 2008. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

acetylcholine (ass-i-tyl-koh-leen) n. the acetic acid ester of the organic base choline: the neurotransmitter released at the synapses of parasympathetic nerves and at neuromuscular junctions. See also cholinesterase.

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