Purity >98%. NMDA is a synthetic amino acid derivative that acts as a specific agonist at the NMDA receptor, mimicking the excitatory action of the endogenous ligand glutamate. Signaling through the NMDA receptor influences both neuronal plasticity and neurotoxicity. Repetitive activation of NMDA synapses leads to long-term potentiation, which is used as a model of learning and the initial stages of memory formation.