What does acetylcholine (Ach) do when it binds to muscarinic receptors?
Posted March 27, 2024
Answer
When acetylcholine binds to muscarinic receptors it:
- Facilitates the contraction of muscles that control near vision
- Regulates heart contractions and lowers heart rate
- Regulates blood pressure
- Causes various glands to secretes substances such as milk, saliva, digestive juices, tears, and sweat
- Increases stomach and intestine secretions and contracts intestinal muscles, which facilitates the movement of food through the intestine
- Causes an erection
- Controls the release of urine
- Muscarinic receptors play a role in long-term and working memory as well as memory formation, retrieval, and consolidation.
Additional resources
Physiology, Muscarinic Receptor
Amplite® Fluorimetric Acetylcholine Assay Kit *Red Fluorescence*