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photoreceptor

[ foh-toh-ri-sep-ter ]
/ ˌfoʊ toʊ rɪˈsɛp tər /

noun Physiology, Biology.

a receptor stimulated by light.

Nearby words

  1. photoradiation therapy,
  2. photoreaction,
  3. photoreactivation,
  4. photorealism,
  5. photoreception,
  6. photoreceptor cell,
  7. photorecon,
  8. photoreconnaissance,
  9. photorecorder,
  10. photorecording

Origin of photoreceptor

First recorded in 1905–10; photo- + receptor
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for photoreceptor

photoreceptor

/ (ˌfəʊtəʊrɪˈsɛptə) /

noun

zoology physiol a light-sensitive cell or organ that conveys impulses through the sensory neuron connected to it
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for photoreceptor

photoreceptor

[ fō′tō-rĭ-sĕp′tər ]

n.

A nerve ending, cell, or group of cells specialized to sense or receive light.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science definitions for photoreceptor

photoreceptor

[ fō′tō-rĭ-sĕp′tər ]

A specialized structure or cell that is sensitive to light. In vertebrate animals, the photoreceptors are the rods and cones of the eye's retina. See Note at circadian rhythm.
An electronic device that converts light energy into electrical signals. Photoreceptors are used in photocopy and facsimile machines, cameras, and solar cells.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.