Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter and the most abundant in the central nervous system. It increases the likelihood a neuron will have an action potential (i.e. it will fire). Over half of the brain’s synapses release glutamate, and is therefore the dominant neurotransmitter used in neural communication. Glutamate is also a metabolic precursor for GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) – the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system.
