Editing Excitatory synapse (section)

===Glutamate===
:[[Glutamic acid|Glutamate]] is a small, amino acid neurotransmitter, and is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter at almost all synapses in the central nervous system.  This molecule binds multiple postsynaptic receptors including the [[NMDA receptor]], [[AMPA receptor]], and [[kainate receptor]]s.  These receptors are all [[cation]] [[ion channel|channels]] that allow positively charged ions such as Na<sup>+</sup>, K<sup>+</sup>, and sometimes Ca<sup>2+</sup> into the postsynaptic cell, causing a depolarization that excites the neuron.<ref name="Neuroscience, 4th ed."/>