Nitric Oxide, also known as nitrogen monoxide, is a chemical compound with chemical formula NO. This diatomic gas is an important cell-signaling molecule in mammals, including humans, and is an extremely important intermediate in the chemical industry. It is also an air pollutant produced by combustion of substances in air, like in automobile engines and fossil fuel power plants. In mammals, Nitric Oxide is an important cellular messenger molecule involved in many physiological and pathological processes. Low levels of NO production are important in protecting an organ such as the liver from ischemic damage. However, sustained levels of increase NO production result in direct tissue damage and contribute to the vascular collapse associated with septic shock, whereas chronic expression of NO is associated with various carcinomas and inflammatory conditions including juvenile diabetes, multiple sclerosis, arthritis and ulcerative colitis. Nitric oxide should not be confused with nitrous oxide (N2O), an anesthetic and greenhouse gas, or with nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a brown toxic gas and a major air pollutant. However, nitric oxide is rapidly oxidised in air to nitrogen dioxide, as Humphrey Davy found to his discomfort when he inhaled the gas early in his career. Despite being a simple molecule, NO is a fundamental component in the fields of neuroscience, physiology, and immunology, and was proclaimed “Molecule of the Year” in 1992.
Sited from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitric_oxide
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