THE PHYSIOLOGICAL-ROLE OF NITRIC-OXIDE

In the last six years it has become apparent that nitric oxide (NO) has a crucial and extensive role in human physiology. It acts as a messenger molecule effecting muscle relaxation, as a cytotoxic agent in the non-specific immune system, as a carcinogen, and as a neurotransmitter in the brain and peripheral nervous system. This article explores some of the chemistry of NO in an attempt to understand how such a modest molecule can play so many diverse roles.