Dictionary Definition
cholinergic adj : releasing or activated by
acetylcholine or a related compound [ant: anticholinergic]
Extensive Definition
Cholinergic means "related to the neurotransmitter
acetylcholine,"
and is typically used in a neurological perspective. The
parasympathetic nervous system is entirely cholinergic.
Neuromuscular junctions, preganglionic neurons of the sympathetic
nervous system, the basal
forebrain, and brain stem complexes are also cholinergic.
A substance is cholinergic if it is capable of
producing, altering, or releasing acetylcholine
("indirect-acting") or mimicking its behaviour at one or more of
the body's acetylcholine
receptor types ("direct-acting").
Cholinergic drug
A cholinergic drug, also known as a cholinergic agent or a parasympathomimetic drug, is any drug that functions to enhance the effects mediated by acetylcholine in the central nervous system, the peripheral nervous system, or both. These include acetylcholine's precursors and cofactors, acetylcholine receptor agonists and cholinergic enzymes:See also
cholinergic in Spanish:
Colinérgico