kainic acid

[ kahy-nik ]

noun

, Pharmacology.

1. an analogue of glutamate, C 10 H 15 NO 4 , derived from the red alga Digenia simplex, used experimentally to stimulate certain neurons in the brain.

Word History and Origins

Origin of kainic acid¹

1953; < Japanese kain ( in-sō ) the name of the alga + -ic