acetylcholine

[ uh-seet-l-koh-leen, uh-set-, as-i-tl- ]
/ əˌsit lˈkoʊ lin, əˌsɛt-, ˌæs ɪ tl- /

noun

Biochemistry. the acetic acid ester of choline, C7H17NO3, released and hydrolyzed during nerve conduction and causing muscle action by transmitting nerve impulses across synapses.
Pharmacology. this substance used in its chloride form in eye surgery. Abbreviation: ACh

Origin of acetylcholine

First recorded in 1905–10; acetyl + choline

OTHER WORDS FROM acetylcholine

a·ce·tyl·cho·lin·ic [uh-seet-l-koh-lin-ik, uh-set-, as-i-tl-] /əˌsit l koʊˈlɪn ɪk, əˌsɛt-, ˌæs ɪ tl-/, adjective

Words nearby acetylcholine

acetylandromedol, acetylaniline, acetylate, acetylation, acetylbenzene, acetylcholine, acetylcholinesterase, acetylcysteine, acetylene, acetylene series, acetylformic acid

Example sentences from the Web for acetylcholine

British Dictionary definitions for acetylcholine

acetylcholine
/ (ˌæsɪtaɪlˈkəʊliːn, -lɪn) /

noun

a chemical substance secreted at the ends of many nerve fibres, esp in the autonomic nervous system, and responsible for the transmission of nervous impulses. Formula: CH 3 CO 2 (CH 2) 2 N (CH 3) 3 +

Medical definitions for acetylcholine

acetylcholine
[ ə-sēt′l-kō′lēn′ ]

n.

A white crystalline derivative of choline that is released at the ends of nerve fibers in the somatic and parasympathetic nervous systems and is involved in the transmission of nerve impulses in the body.

Scientific definitions for acetylcholine

acetylcholine
[ ə-sēt′l-kō′lēn′ ]

A substance that is released at the junction between neurons and skeletal muscle fibers, at the nerve endings of the parasympathetic nervous system, and across synapses in the central nervous system, where it acts as a neurotransmitter. Chemical formula: C7H16NO2.