glycine

n. an amino acid that serves as one of the two major inhibitory neurotransmitters in the central nervous system (particularly the spinal cord), the other being gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Glycine is also a cotransmitter with glutamate at excitatory NMDA receptors. Glycine synthesis occurs via two different pathways; in the most important of these, glycine is synthesized from the amino acid serine in a single reaction catalyzed by the enzyme serine hydroxymethyltransferase.

Browse dictionary by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Psychology term of the day

November 21st 2024

cingulum bundle

a longitudinal tract of nerve fibers, lying beneath the cingulate cortex, that connects the frontal lobe with the parahippocampal gyrus and adjacent regions in the temporal lobe.