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acetylcholinesterase
(as″ә-tәl-)
(as″ә-tēl-ko″lĭ-nesĀ“tә-rās)
an enzyme present in nervous tissue, muscle, and red blood cells that catalyzes the hydrolysis of acetylcholine to choline and acetic acid. This enzyme is present throughout the body, but is particularly important at the neuromuscular junction, where the nerve fibers terminate. Acetylcholine is released when a nerve impulse reaches a myoneural junction. It diffuses
across the synaptic cleft and binds to cholinergic receptors on the muscle fibers, causing them to contract. Acetylcholinesterase
splits acetylcholine into its components, and thus stops stimulation of the muscle fibers.

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