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Cholinergic
 
 
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A receptor is cholinergic if it uses acetylcholine
Acetylcholine

The chemical compound acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter in both the peripheral nervous system and central nervous system in many organisms including homo sapiens....
 as its neurotransmitter
Neurotransmitter

Neurotransmitters are chemistry which relay, amplify and modulate signals between a neuron and another cell . Neurotransmitters are packaged into vesicles that cluster beneath the membrane on the presynaptic side of a synapse, and are released into the synaptic cleft, where they bind to receptors in the membrane on the postsynaptic side of...
.

Cholinergic means related to the neurotransmitter
Neurotransmitter

Neurotransmitters are chemistry which relay, amplify and modulate signals between a neuron and another cell . Neurotransmitters are packaged into vesicles that cluster beneath the membrane on the presynaptic side of a synapse, and are released into the synaptic cleft, where they bind to receptors in the membrane on the postsynaptic side of...
 acetylcholine
Acetylcholine

The chemical compound acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter in both the peripheral nervous system and central nervous system in many organisms including homo sapiens....
, and is typically used in a neurological perspective. The parasympathetic nervous system
Parasympathetic nervous system

The parasympathetic nervous system is a division of the autonomic nervous system , along with the sympathetic nervous system and enteric nervous system ....
 is entirely cholinergic. Neuromuscular junctions, preganglionic neurons of the sympathetic nervous system
Sympathetic nervous system

The Sympathetic Nervous System is a branch of the autonomic nervous system along with the enteric nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system....
, the basal forebrain
Basal forebrain

The basal forebrain is a collection of structures located ventrally to the striatum. It is considered to be the major cholinergic output of the CNS....
, and brain stem complexes are also cholinergic.






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Ach
A receptor is cholinergic if it uses acetylcholine
Acetylcholine

The chemical compound acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter in both the peripheral nervous system and central nervous system in many organisms including homo sapiens....
 as its neurotransmitter
Neurotransmitter

Neurotransmitters are chemistry which relay, amplify and modulate signals between a neuron and another cell . Neurotransmitters are packaged into vesicles that cluster beneath the membrane on the presynaptic side of a synapse, and are released into the synaptic cleft, where they bind to receptors in the membrane on the postsynaptic side of...
.

Cholinergic means related to the neurotransmitter
Neurotransmitter

Neurotransmitters are chemistry which relay, amplify and modulate signals between a neuron and another cell . Neurotransmitters are packaged into vesicles that cluster beneath the membrane on the presynaptic side of a synapse, and are released into the synaptic cleft, where they bind to receptors in the membrane on the postsynaptic side of...
 acetylcholine
Acetylcholine

The chemical compound acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter in both the peripheral nervous system and central nervous system in many organisms including homo sapiens....
, and is typically used in a neurological perspective. The parasympathetic nervous system
Parasympathetic nervous system

The parasympathetic nervous system is a division of the autonomic nervous system , along with the sympathetic nervous system and enteric nervous system ....
 is entirely cholinergic. Neuromuscular junctions, preganglionic neurons of the sympathetic nervous system
Sympathetic nervous system

The Sympathetic Nervous System is a branch of the autonomic nervous system along with the enteric nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system....
, the basal forebrain
Basal forebrain

The basal forebrain is a collection of structures located ventrally to the striatum. It is considered to be the major cholinergic output of the CNS....
, and brain stem complexes are also cholinergic. In addition, the receptor for the merocrine sweat glands are also cholinergic since acetylocholine is released from post ganglionic sympathetic neurons.

A substance is cholinergic if it is capable of producing, altering, or releasing acetylcholine
Acetylcholine

The chemical compound acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter in both the peripheral nervous system and central nervous system in many organisms including homo sapiens....
 ("indirect-acting") or mimicking its behaviour at one or more of the body's acetylcholine receptor
Acetylcholine receptor

An acetylcholine receptor is an integral membrane protein that responds to the binding of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine....
 types ("direct-acting").

Cholinergic drug

A cholinergic drug, also known as a cholinergic agent, cholinergic agonist, or a parasympathomimetic drug, is any drug
Drug

A drug, broadly speaking, is any chemical substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function....
 that functions to enhance the effects mediated by acetylcholine
Acetylcholine

The chemical compound acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter in both the peripheral nervous system and central nervous system in many organisms including homo sapiens....
 in the central nervous system
Central nervous system

The central nervous system is the part of the nervous system that functions to coordinate the activity of all parts of the bodies of multicellular organisms....
, the peripheral nervous system
Peripheral nervous system

The peripheral nervous system resides or extends outside the central nervous system , which consists of the brain and spinal cord. The main function of the PNS is to connect the CNS to the limbs and organs....
, or both. These include acetylcholine's precursors
Precursor (chemistry)

In chemistry, a precursor is a chemical compound that participates in the chemical reaction that produces another compound. In biochemistry, the term "precursor" is used more specifically to refer to a chemical compound preceding another in a metabolic pathway....
 and cofactors
Cofactor (biochemistry)

A cofactor is a non-protein chemical compound that is bound to an enzyme and is required for catalysis. They can be considered "helper molecules/ions" that assist in biochemical transformations....
, acetylcholine receptor
Acetylcholine receptor

An acetylcholine receptor is an integral membrane protein that responds to the binding of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine....
 agonist
Agonist

An agonist is a term used to describe a type of Ligand or drug that binds and alters the activity of a Receptor . The ability to alter the activity of a receptor, also known as the agonist's efficacy is a property that distinguishes it from receptor antagonist, a type of receptor ligand which also binds a receptor but which does not alter t...
s and cholinergic enzymes:
  • acetylcholine receptor
    Acetylcholine receptor

    An acetylcholine receptor is an integral membrane protein that responds to the binding of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine....
     agonist
    Agonist

    An agonist is a term used to describe a type of Ligand or drug that binds and alters the activity of a Receptor . The ability to alter the activity of a receptor, also known as the agonist's efficacy is a property that distinguishes it from receptor antagonist, a type of receptor ligand which also binds a receptor but which does not alter t...
    s
    • muscarine
      Muscarine

      Muscarine, L--muscarine, or muscarin is a Secondary metabolite found in certain mushrooms, particularly in Inocybe and Clitocybe species, such as the deadly Clitocybe dealbata....
       (muscarinic receptors)
    • pilocarpine
      Pilocarpine

      Pilocarpine is a muscarine alkaloid obtained from the leaves of tropical American shrubs from the genus Pilocarpus. It is a non-selective muscarinic receptor agonist in the parasympathetic nervous system, which acts therapeutically at the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M3 due to its topical application, e.g....
       (M3 receptors)
    • nicotine
      Nicotine

      Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants which constitutes approximately 0.6?3.0% of dry weight of tobacco, with biosynthesis taking place in the roots, and accumulating in the leaves....
       (nicotinic receptors)
    • suxamethonium (muscle type receptors)
  • cholinesterase inhibitors
    • physostigmine
      Physostigmine

      Physostigmine is a parasympathomimetic, specifically, a reversible cholinesterase inhibitor alkaloid of the Calabar bean.The chemical was synthesized for the first time in 1935 by the chemists Percy Lavon Julian and Josef Pikl....
    • neostigmine
      Neostigmine

      Neostigmine is a Parasympathomimetic drug, specifically, a reversible cholinesterase inhibitor.Neostigmine is available under several trade names such as Prostigmin and Vagostigmin....


See also

  • Dopaminergic
    Dopaminergic

    Dopaminergic means related to the neurotransmitter dopamine. A synapse is dopaminergic if it uses dopamine as its neurotransmitter. A substance is dopaminergic if it is capable of stimulating dopamine receptors in a dopaminergic synapse....
  • GABAergic
    Gamma-aminobutyric acid

    γ-Aminobutyric acid is the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system. It plays an important role in regulating neuronal excitability throughout the nervous system....
  • Nootropic
    Nootropic

    Memory enhancers are often referred to as "smart drugs", "study drugs", "smart nutrients", "cognitive enhancers", "brain enhancers" or in the scientific literature as nootropics....
  • Serotonergic
    Serotonergic

    Serotonergic or serotoninergic means "related to the neurotransmitter serotonin". A synapse is serotonergic if it uses serotonin as its neurotransmitter....