excitatory amino acids /eksī″tətôr′ē/ , one of a group of amino acids that affect the central nervous system by acting as neurotransmitters and in some cases as neurotoxins. Examples include glutamate and aspartate, which cause depolarization but may also trigger the death of neurons. Some excitatory amino acids are produced by plants and fungi and may be responsible for hypoxic or hypoglycemic brain damage.
