Chemical that diffuses across a
synapse, and thus transmits impulses between
nerve cells or between nerve cells and effector organs (for example, muscles). Common neurotransmitters are the
amino acids glutamate and GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid), as well as
noradrenaline (which also acts as a hormone) and
acetylcholine, the latter being most frequent at junctions between nerve and muscle. Nearly 50 different neurotransmitters have been identified.
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