Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are found in the central and peripheral nervous system, muscle, and many other tissues of many organisms which respond to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. These receptors belong to a superfamily of ligand-gated ion channels and are known to play key roles in synaptic transmission throughout the central nervous system. Many subtypes of nAChR are known to exist, composed of different combinations of subunits which in combination with their broad distribution throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems, enable them to play multiple, varied roles.
