acetylcholine
noun
-ˌsē- ;
ˈa-sə-ˌtēl- \
Definition of acetylcholine
: a neurotransmitter [C7H16NO2]+ released at autonomic synapses and neuromuscular junctions and formed enzymatically in the tissues from choline
Examples of acetylcholine in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Agents like Novichok can enter the body by being eaten or inhaled, or through the skin, and block the action of cholinesterase, an enzyme that breaks down a nervous-system protein called acetylcholine. — Fortune, "What Is Novichok? Why the Russian Nerve Agent Is So Dangerous," 5 July 2018 Anticholinergic drugs function by blocking the effects of acetylcholine, a chemical released by nerve cells to send signals to other nerves and muscles. — Mark Lieber, CNN, "Certain common medications tied to 30% higher dementia risk, study finds," 25 Apr. 2018 Freeing up cholesterase production is essential to stop the uncontrolled bombardment of organs and muscles with the acetylcholine nerve signals. — Deutsche Welle, USA TODAY, "Novichok: What is Russia's dangerous poison used in ex-spy Sergei Skripal's case?," 13 Mar. 2018 Levels of acetylcholine are known to be significantly lower in people with Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia in older adults, according to the Mayo Clinic. — Mark Lieber, CNN, "Certain common medications tied to 30% higher dementia risk, study finds," 25 Apr. 2018 Therefore, some anticholinergic drugs may block the normal activity of acetylcholine in regions of the brain associated with memory and cognition, resulting in Alzheimer's-like symptoms, according to Savva. — Mark Lieber, CNN, "Certain common medications tied to 30% higher dementia risk, study finds," 25 Apr. 2018 All nerve agent victims are given atropine, which blocks muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. — Richard Stone, Science | AAAS, "U.K. attack shines spotlight on deadly nerve agent developed by Soviet scientists," 19 Mar. 2018 In essence, the nerve agent triggers a protein chain reaction, resulting in an uncontrolled bombardment of body tissue and organs with nerve signals by a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. — Deutsche Welle, USA TODAY, "Novichok: What is Russia's dangerous poison used in ex-spy Sergei Skripal's case?," 13 Mar. 2018 The body constantly has to remove those acetylcholine molecules from the receptors, otherwise there would be a dangerous build-up. — Simon Cotton, Scientific American, "Nerve Agents: What Are They and How Do They Work?," 9 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'acetylcholine.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for acetylcholine
acetylcholine
noun
-ˌsēt-; ˌas-ə-ˌtēl-
\
Medical Definition of acetylcholine
: a neurotransmitter [C7H16NO2]+ released at autonomic synapses and neuromuscular junctions, active in the transmission of nerve impulses, and formed enzymatically in the tissues from choline
Other words from acetylcholine
\
adjective
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