Nicotine imitates the naturally occurring neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. It binds to acetylcholine receptors throughout the body. The three significant activation areas are in the adrenal gland, where it causes an increased release of adrenaline, the cerebral cortex where it mimics acetylcholine, and in the ventral tegmental area where it causes a release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens shell.