neurotransmitter
Meaning of neurotransmitter: Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers released by nerve cells to relay signals across the small gaps separating one nerve cell from another or from a muscle.
Definition of neurotransmitter
A neurotransmitter is a chemical messenger released by a nerve cell that carries a signal to a neighboring cell, whether another nerve cell, a muscle cell, or a gland. Neurotransmitters are released across the synapse, a small gap between cells, where they bind to specific receptors on the receiving cell to trigger a response.
The body produces many different neurotransmitters, each associated with particular functions. Some, such as acetylcholine, act on muscles as well as within the brain, while others, such as serotonin and dopamine, are more closely associated with mood, motivation, and other brain functions, though most neurotransmitters play roles in more than one system.
Because neurotransmitters carry so much of the nervous system's signaling, imbalances or disruptions in specific neurotransmitter systems are involved in a range of neurological and psychiatric conditions, and many medications used in these fields work by adjusting the availability or activity of one or more neurotransmitters.
Used in a sentence
The medication works by increasing the availability of a specific neurotransmitter in the brain.
Good to know
Most neurotransmitters act in more than one body system, so a single chemical such as serotonin or dopamine can influence mood, digestion, or muscle function depending on where in the body it is acting.
Word origin
Where “neurotransmitter” comes from
Formed from Greek neuron, meaning nerve, and Latin transmittere, meaning to send across, from trans-, meaning across, and mittere, meaning to send.