NMDA
NMDA (N-Methyl-D-aspartic acid or N-Methyl-D-aspartate) is an amino acid derivative that acts as a specific agonist at the NMDA receptor mimicking the action of glutamate, the neurotransmitter which normally acts at that receptor. Unlike glutamate, NMDA only binds to and regulates the NMDA receptor and has no effect on other glutamate receptors. NMDA is an excitotoxin,this trait has applications in behavioral neuroscience research.