binds NMDA to the receptor site as well as other molecules such as glutamate. The receptor itself is voltage-gated which means it can participate in synapse transmission where the glutamate or NMDA molecule acts as a neurotransmitter molecule. Dysfunctioning NMDA receptors have recently been linked to the onset of Schizophrenia and other neuro-degenerative conditions.
NMDA RECEPTOR: “NMDA is a molecule, with a similar structure to the amino acid glutamate, therefore an NMDA receptor is protein which acts as a receptor for these molecules.”