Neurotransmitter

Definition: Neurotransmitter

Neurotransmitter

Noun

1. Transmits nerve impulses across a synapse.

Specialty Definitions: Neurotransmitter

Domain	Definitions
Computing	Chemical messenger which is released into the synapse on arrival of the action potential of a presynaptic cell. Source: European Union. (references)
Health	Any of a group of substances that are released on excitation from the axon terminal of a presynaptic neuron of the central or peripheral nervous system and travel across the synaptic cleft to either excite or inhibit the target cell. Among the many substances that have the properties of a neurotransmitter are acetylcholine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, glycine, y-aminobutyrate, glutamic acid, substance P, enkephalins, endorphins, and serotonin. (references)
Medicine	Brain's chemical messenger neuropeptide acting as a transmitter of a nerve impulse across a synapse. Compounds identified as neurotransmitters include acetylcholine, noradrenaline, adrenaline, dopamine, aminobutyric acid and serotonin. Source: European Union. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Specialty Definition: Neurotransmitter

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

A neurotransmitter is a molecule used for signalling between nerve cells or neurons. Neurotransmitter molecules pass between neurons at synapses. Within the cell they are packaged in vesicles and released by rapid exocytosis upon the arrival of a nerve impulse, after which they diffuse across the synaptic gap to bind neurotransmitter receptors or other ligand gated ion channels.

Many neurotransmitters are removed from the synaptic gap, after they have activated their specific receptors, by transport proteins residing in neuronal and glial plasma membranes. At cholinergic synapses where acetylcholine (ACh) is the neurotransmitter, the enzyme acetylcholinesterase rather than a transport protein is responsible for removing the ACh. It is important to remove neurotransmitters from the synaptic gap so that they do not continue to stimulate or inhibit the firing of the postsynaptic neuron.

Neurotransmitters may be either excitatory or inhibitory; that is, they may be of a type that fosters the initiation of a nerve impulse in the receiving neuron, or they may inhibit such an impulse (more at synapse). Most are small molecules that are amino acids or are derived from amino acids. GABA and glycine are well-known inhibitory neurotransmitters.

There are many neurotransmitters; some of the important ones are:

Amino acids:
- aspartate
- glutamate
- GABA
- glycine
Monoamines (in the order of their synthesis):
- from phenylalanine:
  - dopamine
  - norepinephrine (noradrenaline)
- from tryptophan:
  - serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine)
- from histidine:
  - histamine
Other:
- acetylcholine
- nitric oxide
- carbon monoxide
- substance P

External links

Molecular Expressions Photo Gallery: The Neurotransmitter Collection

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Neurotransmitter."

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Crosswords: Neurotransmitter

English words defined with "neurotransmitter": 5-hydroxytryptamine ♦ acetylcholine ♦ diazepam, dopamine, Dopastat ♦ GABA, gamma aminobutyric acid ♦ Intropin ♦ monoamine, monoamine neurotransmitter ♦ serotonin ♦ Valium. (references)

Specialty definitions using "neurotransmitter": Bombesin, Bradykinin, Bromocriptine ♦ Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide, Cell Communication ♦ Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide, Dexfenfluramine ♦ Excitatory Amino Acid Agents, Excitatory Amino Acids ♦ Galanin ♦ Ion Channels ♦ Neurotensin, Neurotransmitter Agents, Neurotransmitter Uptake Inhibitors, Neurotransmitters, Neurotransmitters and Neurotransmitter Agents ♦ Octopamine, Oxidopamine ♦ Pyruvate Metabolism, Inborn Errors ♦ Receptors, GABA-A, Receptors, Neurotransmitter, Receptors, Oxytocin, Receptors, Pituitary Hormone-Regulating Hormone, Receptors, Presynaptic ♦ Second Messenger Systems, Somatostatin, Substance P, Synapsins, Synaptic Transmission ♦ Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide. (references)

Non-English Usage: "Neurotransmitter" is also a word in the following languages with English translations in parentheses.

Danish (neurotransmitter), Dutch (neurotransmitter), German (neurotransmitter).

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Commercial Usage: Neurotransmitter

Domain	Title
Books	Molecular & Cellular Mechanisms of Neurotransmitter Release (Advances in Second Messenger and Phosphoprotein Research, Volume 29) (reference) Neurotransmitter Actions in the Vertebrate Nervous System (reference) Neurotransmitter balances regulating behavior (reference) Neurotransmitter Interactions and Cognitive Function (reference) Neurotransmitter Methods (reference) (more book examples)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Non-Fiction Usage: Neurotransmitter

Subject	Topic	Quote
Health		Neurotransmitter studies. (references)
		Acetylcholine -- a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in learning and memory. (references)
		Restoring normal neurotransmitter signals with drugs may partially relieve these problems. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

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Usage Frequency: Neurotransmitter

"Neurotransmitter" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 98.81% of the time. "Neurotransmitter" is used about 84 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted)

Parts of Speech	Percent	Usage per 100 Million Words	Rank in English
Noun (singular)	98.81%	83	36,350
Lexical Verb (infinitive)	1.19%	1	339,140
Total	100.00%	84	N/A

Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.

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Expressions: Neurotransmitter

Expressions using "neurotransmitter": monoamine neurotransmitter ♦ Neurotransmitter Agents ♦ Neurotransmitter Uptake Inhibitors ♦ Neurotransmitters and Neurotransmitter Agents. Additional references.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Frequency of Internet Keywords: Neurotransmitter

The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com.

Expression	Frequency per Day
neurotransmitter	35
gaba neurotransmitter	5
dopamine neurotransmitter	4
neurotransmitter serotonin	4
histamine and neurotransmitter	3
deficiency neurotransmitter	3
diagram neurotransmitter	2
neurotransmitter regulation	2
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Modern Translations: Neurotransmitter

Language		Translations for "neurotransmitter"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.
Chinese		神经� 送�". (various references)

Danish		neurotransmitter (mediator). (various references)

Dutch		neurotransmitter. (various references)

Finnish		neurolähetin, välittäjäaine (mediator). (various references)

French		neurotransmetteur/neuromédiateur, neurotransmetteur, neuromédiateur, médiateur chimique. (various references)

German		Neurotransmitter (transmitter of nervous impulses). (various references)

Greek		νευροδιαβιβαστής. (various references)

Italian		neurotrasmettitore. (various references)

Pig Latin		eurotransmitternay

Portuguese		neurotransmissor (transmitter of nervous impulses). (various references)

Spanish		neurotransmisor. (various references)

Swedish		neurotransmittor, transmittorsubstans, signalsubstans. (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

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Derivations & Misspellings: Neurotransmitter

Derivations
	Words beginning with "neurotransmitter": neurotransmitters. (additional references)
Misspellings
	"Neurotransmitter" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: neutrotransmitter. (additional references)
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

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Anagrams: Neurotransmitter

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams
	Words within the letters "a-e-e-i-m-n-n-o-r-r-r-s-t-t-t-u"
	-3 letters: remunerations.
	-4 letters: enumerations, menstruation, mountaineers, remuneration, remunerators, sternutation.
	-5 letters: antitruster, attornments, attunements, enantiomers, entrustment, enumeration, enumerators, innumerates, marionettes, mensuration, mountaineer, numerations, remonstrant, remonstrate, remunerator, renominates, sternutator, temerarious, terminators, tetramerous, tournaments, transmitter, triturators, unrestraint, urinometers.
	Words containing the letters "a-e-e-i-m-n-n-o-r-r-r-s-t-t-t-u"
	+1 letter: neurotransmitters.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.