What it means
The most common excitatory neurotransmitterNOOR-oh-trans-mit-erA chemical that a nerve cell releases to pass a signal to another nerve, muscle or gland cell.neur/o nervetrans- acrossmitt send-er one that doesFull entry in the brain, important in learning and memory. Too much glutamate activity can harm nerve cells, which plays a part in damage after a stroke and in some brain diseases. Some drugs act on its receptors, such as memantine for Alzheimer disease and ketamine.
Related terms
Alzheimer disease
A brain disease that slowly destroys memory, thinking and the ability to do everyday tasks.
neurotransmitter
A chemical that a nerve cell releases to pass a signal to another nerve, muscle or gland cell.
neuron
A nerve cell: a cell that carries electrical and chemical signals through the nervous system.