A salt or ester of levorotatory glutamic acid that functions as an excitatory neurotransmitter.
DebraMillet/iStock/Getty Images. Most people know glutamate as monosodium glutamate, a flavor enhancer in food. A simple but more important function of glutamate, however, is its role as a major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. Neurotransmitters are chemicals in the brain that allow signals to be conveyed from one neuron to another.  Glutamate is a powerful excitatory neurotransmitter that is released by nerve cells in the brain. It is responsible for sending signals between nerve cells, and under normal conditions it plays an important role in learning and memory. At normal concentrations, glutamate is crucial for brain functions such as learning and memory. However, at high concentrations the increased cellular activity caused by glutamate results in over-excitation of nerve cells, which eventually leads to cell death. Glutamate is an important amino acid present in virtually every protein in the body. It plays a vital role in the function of many of the important organs, including the brain, and in healthy metabolism.  Monosodium glutamate is the sodium salt of glutamic acid. Glutamate is a naturally occurring amino acid that is found in nearly all foods, especially high protein foods such as dairy products, meat and fish and in many vegetables.  Medical Definition of GLUTAMATE. : a salt or ester of glutamic acid; specifically: a salt or ester of levorotatory glutamic acid that functions as an excitatory neurotransmitter—see monosodium glutamate. : a salt or ester of glutamic acid; specifically: a salt or ester of levorotatory glutamic acid that functions as an excitatory neurotransmitter. GLUTAMATE AS NEUROTRANSMITTER. Glutamic acid (abbreviated as Glu or E) is one of the 20-22 proteinogenic amino acids, and its codons are GAA and GAG. It is a non-essential amino acid with a side chain carboxylic acid functional group. The carboxylate anions and salts of glutamic acid are known as glutamates. Glutamate is the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the nervous system and it plays a key role in long-term potentiation. It is involved in most aspects of normal brain functions, including cognition, memory and learning. Glutamate does not pass easily the blood brain barrier but it is instead transported by a high-affinity transport system. It can also be converted into glutamine. Glutamine can cross the blood brain barrier, and then be converted into glutamate by the action of phosphate-activated Glutaminase. Glutamate (Glutamic acid) is the most prominent neurotransmitter in the body, and it is the main excitatory neurotransmitter, being present in over 50% of nervous tissue. Glutamate was initially discovered to be a neurotransmitter in insect studies in the early 1960s.  The main motivation for the ongoing World Wide research on glutamate is due to the role of glutamate in the signal transduction in the nervous systems of apparently all complex living organisms, including man. Neurobiol. 65, 1-105. Glutamate. Outside the community of biomedical scientists, glutamate is probably best known as monosodium glutamate or MSG which is used as a flavor or taste enhancer in food. It is usually available together with other food additives and spices in most large food stores Definition of GLUTAMATE. : a salt or ester of glutamic acid; specifically: a salt or ester of levorotatory glutamic acid that functions as an excitatory neurotransmitter. compare monosodium glutamate. ADVERTISEMENT
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