receptor

American  

[ri-sep-ter] / rɪˈsɛp tər /

noun

• receptors
  plural

1. Physiology. an end organ or a group of end organs of sensory or afferent neurons, specialized to be sensitive to stimulating agents, as touch or heat.

2. Cell Biology. any of various specific protein molecules in surface membranes of cells and organelles to which complementary molecules, as hormones, neurotransmitters, antigens, or antibodies, may become bound.

3. the panlike base of a stall shower.

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receptor British  

/ rɪˈsɛptə /

noun

1. physiol a sensory nerve ending that changes specific stimuli into nerve impulses

2. any of various devices that receive information, signals, etc

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receptor Scientific  

/ rĭ-sĕp′tər /

1. A nerve ending or other structure in the body, such as a photoreceptor, specialized to sense or receive stimuli. Skin receptors respond to stimuli such as touch and pressure and signal the brain by activating portions of the nervous system. Receptors in the nose detect the presence of certain chemicals, leading to the perception of odor.

2. A structure or site, found on the surface of a cell or within a cell, that can bind to a hormone, antigen, or other chemical substance and thereby begin a change in the cell. For example, when a mast cell within the body encounters an allergen, specialized receptors on the mast cell bind to the allergen, resulting in the release of histamine by the mast cell. The histamine then binds to histamine receptors in other cells of the body, which initiate the response known as inflammation as well as other responses. In this way, the symptoms of an allergic reaction are produced. Antihistamine drugs work by preventing the binding of histamine to histamine receptors.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• receptors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of receptor

1400–50; late Middle English receptour < Old French < Latin receptor. See reception, -tor

Explanation

A receptor is a protein in a cell that binds to a substance and causes a specific effect on the cell. It's also the name of a cell that senses stimuli like pain, heat, or light. Receptor shares a Latin root with receive that means "take in or admit." Both kinds of biological receptors work by receiving something and responding to it. In the case of sensory receptors, these tiny cells take in stimuli and send information through your nervous system so your body can respond — by closing your eyes against a bright light or dropping a hot pan, for example.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

receptor receptors

The cells receive a chimeric, or artificial, antigen receptor known as a CAR, which is designed to bind specifically to CD19.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026

Amylyx Pharmaceuticals says its GLP-1 receptor antagonist, avexitide, met both the primary and secondary endpoints in a late-stage clinical trial.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

Despite producing opposite effects on the same receptor, both approaches can help promote weight loss.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026

Instead of putting another GLP-1 like semaglutide into trials, Lilly decided to pair a GLP-1 with a GIP receptor agonist in what Lundberg described as a “very close collaboration between R&D and the business unit.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

But my saving human connection—my oxytocin receptor, as it were—is George, the nineteen-year-old Czech dishwasher who has been in this country exactly one week.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

The team then examined opioid responsive receptors on cells in the locus coeruleus, focusing especially on mu opioid receptors.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026

Without those receptors, the animals became even more sensitive to touch and heat than mice whose locus coeruleus cells still had mu opioid receptors.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026

The team also discovered that the brain regions showing the greatest synaptic losses tended to contain high concentrations of receptors for important neurotransmitters, including serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamate.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026

In rats, for example, excess histidine can be converted into histamine, which activates brain receptors involved in controlling food intake.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026

There are polymers that will fit the receptors of one line of guinea pigs or mice but not others; there are responders and nonresponders.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas