kainic acid

[ kahy-nik ]

noun

, Pharmacology.

1. an analogue of glutamate, C 10 H 15 NO 4 , derived from the red alga Digenia simplex, used experimentally to stimulate certain neurons in the brain.

Word History and Origins

Origin of kainic acid¹

1953; < Japanese kain ( in-sō ) the name of the alga + -ic

Example Sentences

Annamaria Vezzani, a neuroscientist at the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research in Milan, has induced epilepsy in mice and rats by injecting kainic acid into their brains, and has observed the activation of a cellular pathway linked to inflammation before and during seizures.

From New York Times