Acetylcholine (ACh) is a powerful and versatile neurotransmitter—a
chemical messenger that helps nerve cells communicate with each other
and with muscles. It plays a key role in both the central nervous system
(CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Acetylcholine is a natural
chemical messenger (neurotransmitter) in your body. It helps nerves
communicate with muscles, glands, and even parts of the brain. Think of it
as a key that fits into specific locks (called cholinergic receptors) to
trigger actions like:
Muscle movement
Slowing heart rate
Stimulating digestion
Enhancing memory and attention
What Does Acetylcholine Do?
• In the brain (CNS):
• Supports memory, learning, attention, and arousal
• Low levels are linked to conditions like Alzheimer’s disease
• In the body (PNS):
• Controls voluntary muscle movement by transmitting signals from
motor nerves to muscles
• Regulates involuntary functions like heart rate, digestion, and gland
secretion via the parasympathetic nervous system
⚙️ How It Works
• Made from choline and acetyl-CoA by the enzyme choline
acetyltransferase
• Stored in nerve endings and released into the synaptic cleft (the gap
between nerve cells)
• Binds to muscarinic and nicotinic receptors to trigger a response
• Broken down by acetylcholinesterase into choline and acetate, which
are recycled
🧬 Why It Matters
Acetylcholine is essential for:
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chemical messenger that helps nerve cells communicate with each other
and with muscles. It plays a key role in both the central nervous system
(CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Acetylcholine is a natural
chemical messenger (neurotransmitter) in your body. It helps nerves
communicate with muscles, glands, and even parts of the brain. Think of it
as a key that fits into specific locks (called cholinergic receptors) to
trigger actions like:
Muscle movement
Slowing heart rate
Stimulating digestion
Enhancing memory and attention
What Does Acetylcholine Do?
• In the brain (CNS):
• Supports memory, learning, attention, and arousal
• Low levels are linked to conditions like Alzheimer’s disease
• In the body (PNS):
• Controls voluntary muscle movement by transmitting signals from
motor nerves to muscles
• Regulates involuntary functions like heart rate, digestion, and gland
secretion via the parasympathetic nervous system
⚙️ How It Works
• Made from choline and acetyl-CoA by the enzyme choline
acetyltransferase
• Stored in nerve endings and released into the synaptic cleft (the gap
between nerve cells)
• Binds to muscarinic and nicotinic receptors to trigger a response
• Broken down by acetylcholinesterase into choline and acetate, which
are recycled
🧬 Why It Matters
Acetylcholine is essential for:
This study source was downloaded by 100000898062787 from CourseHero.com on 09-30-2025 05:36:32 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/251658668/Neurotransmittersdocx/
