<Tr> <Th> E number </Th> <Td> E1001 (i) (additional chemicals) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> ECHA InfoCard </Th> <Td> 100.000. 118 </Td> </Tr> <P> Acetylcholine (ACh) is an organic chemical that functions in the brain and body of many types of animals, including humans, as a neurotransmitter--a chemical released by nerve cells to send signals to other cells . Its name is derived from its chemical structure: it is an ester of acetic acid and choline . Parts in the body that use or are affected by acetylcholine are referred to as cholinergic . Substances that interfere with acetylcholine activity are called anticholinergics . </P> <P> Acetylcholine is the neurotransmitter used at the neuromuscular junction--in other words, it is the chemical that motor neurons of the nervous system release in order to activate muscles . This property means that drugs that affect cholinergic systems can have very dangerous effects ranging from paralysis to convulsions . Acetylcholine is also used as a neurotransmitter in the autonomic nervous system, both as an internal transmitter for the sympathetic nervous system and as the final product released by the parasympathetic nervous system . </P>

Which ion is needed to trigger the release of acetylcholine