BRAINCAKENicotine
Nicotine is the drug in tobacco. Its shape is similar to acetylcholine (ACh), so it acts as an agonist at one type of ACh receptor, which is named after it: the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. These receptors are found at neuromuscular junctions, in the autonomic nervous system and in the brain.
When nicotine binds to nicotinic receptors on a postsynaptic membrane:
• the receptor's ligand-gated sodium ion channel opens
• Na+ diffuses into the postsynaptic neurone and depolarises it
• if threshold is reached, an action potential is produced
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Key terms in this lesson
- agonist
- A drug or molecule that binds to a receptor and activates it, mimicking the natural ligand.
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All 38 lessons in Mammalian Nervous System · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics