acetylcholine
noun
ace·tyl·cho·line ə-ˌse-tᵊl-ˈkō-ˌlēn 
-ˌsē-;
ˈa-sə-ˌtēl-
: a neurotransmitter [C7H16NO2]+ released at autonomic synapses and neuromuscular junctions and formed enzymatically in the tissues from choline
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Neurotransmitter inhibitors, which are less common than signaling and carrier peptides, may decrease the appearance of fine lines by blocking the release of acetylcholine—a neurotransmitter heavily involved in muscle contractions. 
Sarah Madaus, SELF, 27 July 2022 In a paper posted in 2020 on the preprint server bioarxiv.org, Cardin and her colleagues became the first to use Li’s sensor to measure acetylcholine across the entire cortex in mice. Quanta Magazine, 22 Mar. 2022 It was widely believed that acetylcholine always increased alertness by making neurons more independent of the activity in their circuits. Quanta Magazine, 22 Mar. 2022 Yet the amount of synchronization also depends on the region of the brain and the arousal level, painting the picture that acetylcholine does not have uniform effects everywhere. Quanta Magazine, 22 Mar. 2022 That shows up in the chapter on atropine, the toxin in deadly nightshade that blocks the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, and again in the chapter on strychnine, a popular rat killer that blocks the neurotransmitter glycine. Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, 13 Mar. 2022 Botox works by blocking the release of acetylcholine, a compound that makes muscles contract. Emily Langer, Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2021 In tests of their prototypes in mice, the scientists found that pupil dilation reliably indicated levels of key neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine that affect neurons throughout the brain. Robert Lee Hotz, WSJ, 13 Aug. 2021 Scientists had found that a large hub of nerve cells that make acetylcholine showed severe damage in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Susan Molchan, STAT, 12 July 2021 See More
Sarah Madaus, SELF, 27 July 2022 In a paper posted in 2020 on the preprint server bioarxiv.org, Cardin and her colleagues became the first to use Li’s sensor to measure acetylcholine across the entire cortex in mice. Quanta Magazine, 22 Mar. 2022 It was widely believed that acetylcholine always increased alertness by making neurons more independent of the activity in their circuits. Quanta Magazine, 22 Mar. 2022 Yet the amount of synchronization also depends on the region of the brain and the arousal level, painting the picture that acetylcholine does not have uniform effects everywhere. Quanta Magazine, 22 Mar. 2022 That shows up in the chapter on atropine, the toxin in deadly nightshade that blocks the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, and again in the chapter on strychnine, a popular rat killer that blocks the neurotransmitter glycine. Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, 13 Mar. 2022 Botox works by blocking the release of acetylcholine, a compound that makes muscles contract. Emily Langer, Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2021 In tests of their prototypes in mice, the scientists found that pupil dilation reliably indicated levels of key neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine that affect neurons throughout the brain. Robert Lee Hotz, WSJ, 13 Aug. 2021 Scientists had found that a large hub of nerve cells that make acetylcholine showed severe damage in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Susan Molchan, STAT, 12 July 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
borrowed from German Acetylcholin, from Acetyl acetyl + Cholin choline
First Known Use
1906, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
acetylcholine
noun
ace·tyl·cho·line ə-ˌset-ᵊl-ˈkō-ˌlēn -ˌsēt-; ˌas-ə-ˌtēl-
-ˌsēt-; ˌas-ə-ˌtēl- : a neurotransmitter [C7H16NO2]+ released at autonomic synapses and neuromuscular junctions, active in the transmission of nerve impulses, and formed enzymatically in the tissues from choline