Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that helps you remember things, learn new things, pay attention, get excited, and make your muscles move on their own. Acetylcholine gets its name from the two things it is made of: an acetyl group (acetyl coenzyme A, which comes from the sugar molecule glucose) and the nutrient choline. Choline is found in foods like egg yolks, soy, liver, vegetable seeds, and beans and peas. The liver also makes choline.
Acetylcholine helps your body do a lot of important things. It helps you move your muscles all over your body when you want to. This is a move you make with your muscles. Muscles contract when nerve cells send signals to muscle nerve cells. It also helps nerve cells in the brain do important things like remember, think, and learn.
Choline and the acetyl group react when an enzyme called choline acetyltransferase is present. This makes acetylcholine. It is made where nerve cells end. Acetylcholine is kept at the ends of nerve cells until a signal tells it to come out. Once it leaves the end of the nerve cell, it goes to a place called the synaptic cleft. The synaptic cleft is between the nerve cell that released acetylcholine (the presynaptic nerve cell) and the next nerve cell it is going to (the postsynaptic nerve cell) (the postsynaptic nerve cell). Once acetylcholine crosses the synapse, it can bind to two types of receptors: nicotinic receptors and muscarinic receptors. Nicotinic receptors come in two types, and muscarinic receptors come in five types. After binding to the receptors, the chemical message moves to the next nerve cell. This keeps happening until the message reaches its destination. An enzyme called acetylcholinesterase breaks down acetylcholine in the synapse into choline and acetate. These products are reabsorbed and reused to send another chemical message. Acetylcholine is used in a lot of ways. When it binds to muscarinic receptors, it controls heart contractions, blood pressure, and heart rate. Moves food through your intestine by making the muscles in your intestines contract and by making your stomach and intestines produce more fluid. It makes glands release things like tears, saliva, milk, sweat, and digestive juices. Controls how much urine is made. Tightens the muscles that help you see close up. Gives men erections. It lets skeletal muscles contract when it binds to nicotinic receptors. Causes your adrenal glands to let out adrenaline and norepinephrine.
Your sympathetic nervous system is turned on by the release of norepinephrine. Both types of receptors play a role in memory, both long-term and short-term, as well as in how memories are made, stored, and retrieved. Acetylcholine is also important for motivation, arousal, attention, learning, and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep in your brain.
It’s in your brain, spinal cord, and central nervous system (CNS). It is also in your peripheral nervous system (PNS) (the nerves that branch out from your CNS and connect with all other parts of your body, including muscles and organs). Acetylcholine is made in both your brain and spinal cord, which are part of your central nervous system (CNS), and in your nerves that are outside of your CNS (the nerves that branch out from your CNS and connect with all other parts of your body, including muscles and organs).
Acetylcholine is sent to the neuromuscular junction by your peripheral nervous system. Where nerves and muscle cells meet.
It is also important to your autonomic nervous system, which is a part of your peripheral nervous system. Your autonomic nervous system controls many of the automatic things that happen in your body, like how well your organs work.
Low levels of acetylcholine, which is called a "deficiency," are a major cause of several diseases. The fact that people know how acetylcholine works in the body has led to bad things happening. Acetylcholine dietary supplement isn't available. But supplements that make more acetylcholine come out or stop acetylcholine from being broken down are thought to raise acetylcholine levels. Choline is one of these supplements that helps release more acetylcholine. Some supplements, such as Bacopa monnieri, Ginkgo biloba, and huperzine A, stop the breakdown of acetylcholine. Choline, which is turned into acetylcholine, is found in many foods, like Beef liver, Eggs, Top round of beef, Soybeans that have been roasted and kidney beans that have been canned. Roasted Chicken Breast, Cod, Prepared quinoa, Shiitake mushrooms, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts that have all been cooked, Milk (1%), nonfat vanilla yogurt, ect