A substance that inhibits the enzyme cholinesterase, which breaks down acetylcholine, thus increasing acetylcholine levels and prolonging its effects in the nervous system.
Anti- + cholinesterase (the enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine). This technical term combines anti- with the name of a specific enzyme. The term emerged in biochemistry in the mid-20th century.
Anticholinesterase drugs like physostigmine were discovered partly by accident and became crucial for treating Alzheimer's—ironically, some nerve agents work the same way, making this molecule both medicine and poison.
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