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Acetylcholine

O-Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter.

Chemical Formula: C₇H₁₆N₁(O₂)₁⁺, (Cl₁)₁^-

Other names: Acetylcholine chloride, 2-(Acetyloxy)-N,N,N-trimethylethanaminium chloride

Layman's explanation: O-Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that was discovered in 1920, making it the first neurotransmitter ever discovered. This neurotransmitter is located in the brain, neuromuscular junctions, spinal cord, and in both the postganglionic terminal buttons of the parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system and the ganglia of the autonomic nervous system. The receptor sites can be ionotropic ( nicotinic receptor ) or metabotropic ( muscarinic receptor), which makes it possible for acetylcholine to produce either an IPSP or an EPSP response. Some believe that O-Acetylcholine is somehow linked to memory storage but this link is still unclear. However, the pathways seem better suited as a modulator system than as an information-containing, information-storing system.

Keywords: neurotransmitter

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