Glutamic acid

Glutamic acid (also known as Glutamate) is a negatively charged amino acid with an acidic side chain. It is a vital component in the excitatory pathways of the nervous system in mammals with it's gated ion channels being the most common ion channels found in the brain. Glutamate ion channels found in the hippocampus are responsible for most of the depolarizing currents of Excitatory PostSynaptic Potentials ( EPSPs).

References                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

ALBERTS, B. (2008). Molecular biology of the cell. New York [etc.], Garland Science. p691