Biological and Industrial Functions of Nitric Oxide

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Nitric oxide is a naturally occurring molecule that has many biological and industrial functions. The molecule is made up of one nitrogen atom and one oxygen atom. It is considered a free radical, which means it has unpaired valence electrons, making it highly chemically reactive. It is not a very popular molecule in terms of how many people know what it is used for, but it has many subtle, important uses.
Because nitric oxide is a naturally occurring molecule, it has been around since the beginning of time. It was first studied by Joseph Priestly, an 18th century English chemist, who believed nitric oxide was simply a toxic gas. It was not until 1987 when it was discovered that the molecule is produced naturally in our bodies. In 1998, three scientists won the Nobel Peace Prize for discovering how nitric oxide works as a cell-signaling molecule. Nitric oxide has actually been used, in the form of the noni plant, as a cure-all medicine in the Pacific Islands for thousands of years. It was only in the last 20 years when scientists slowly discovered the link between the noni plant and nitric oxide. Many people around the world today use the noni plant as a natural medicine for a variety of health issues, including coughs, diabetes, liver disease, and many more. Some people also take nitric oxide support supplements, which contain arginine, an amino acid that works with an enzyme in our bodies to produce nitric oxide (see "Production"). These supplements aim to support healthy circulation and delivery of oxygen to muscles.
Nitric oxide's most important uses are biological, but it is also used industrially. One of the main biological functions of nitric oxide is its role as a neurotransmitter. It is not the same as traditional neurotransmitters such as serotonin or GABA. NO is a gas that is synthesized by NO synthase only when it is needed. Upon synthesis, it makes blood vessels widen, allowing greater blood flow to parts of the body that need it. Researchers believe that NO is released in blood vessel walls, where it travels to nearby muscle cells and relaxes them, which opens up the blood vessel. It is in this way that NO helps protect the liver from ischemic damage, which is when there is a shortage of blood flow to the liver, resulting in damaged liver cells. Medically, nitric oxide is given to neonatal patients with pulmonary hypertension.

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