What is acetylcholine degraded by?

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Multiple Choice

What is acetylcholine degraded by?

Explanation:
Acetylcholine is inactivated in the synaptic cleft by acetylcholinesterase, which rapidly hydrolyzes it into choline and acetate. This quick breakdown stops the signal and allows the postsynaptic receptors to return to baseline. The choline is then taken back up for reuse in making more acetylcholine. Other enzymes listed don’t fit the degradation role: monoamine oxidase breaks down monoamines like dopamine and norepinephrine, not acetylcholine. Butyrylcholinesterase can also hydrolyze acetylcholine but is broader in scope and not the primary enzyme in the synapse. Choline acetyltransferase, on the other hand, synthesizes acetylcholine from choline and acetyl-CoA, not degraded.

Acetylcholine is inactivated in the synaptic cleft by acetylcholinesterase, which rapidly hydrolyzes it into choline and acetate. This quick breakdown stops the signal and allows the postsynaptic receptors to return to baseline. The choline is then taken back up for reuse in making more acetylcholine.

Other enzymes listed don’t fit the degradation role: monoamine oxidase breaks down monoamines like dopamine and norepinephrine, not acetylcholine. Butyrylcholinesterase can also hydrolyze acetylcholine but is broader in scope and not the primary enzyme in the synapse. Choline acetyltransferase, on the other hand, synthesizes acetylcholine from choline and acetyl-CoA, not degraded.

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