receptor
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.
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.
the panlike base of a stall shower.
Origin of receptor
1Words Nearby receptor
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use receptor in a sentence
Modern technology allows one to peek inside the brain, seeing what olfactory receptors activate in response to what odors.
Strong evidence of ACE2 receptors on beta cells could confirm the long-standing suspicion that viruses trigger diabetes.
They contain mutations that appear to enhance the virus’s ability to bind to human receptor cells.
Coronavirus mutations add urgency to vaccination effort as experts warn of long battle ahead | Joel Achenbach, Ariana Eunjung Cha | January 30, 2021 | Washington PostThey then tapped synthetic biology to make mosquito odor receptors from scratch using DNA.
Scientists Made a Biohybrid Nose Using Cells From Mosquitoes | Shelly Fan | January 26, 2021 | Singularity HubYet like THC, CBG appears to interact directly with the cannabinoid receptors in our brains, making it more effective than CBD — which does not share this mechanism.
Once in the system, it binds with opioid receptor cells that send endorphins shooting through the body.
The Miraculin binds to the sweet receptor in your mouth and makes sour, or acidic foods taste incredibly sweet.
Particular versions of dopamine receptor genes have been associated with higher physical activity and lower body mass index.
But unlike alcohol, Xanax only affects one specific type of brain receptor.
Whitney Houston’s Death: Xanax and Alcohol, Lethal Duo | Casey Schwartz | February 13, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTIn newborns of depressed or anxious mothers, a 2008 study found, this stress-hormone-receptor gene also tends to be silenced.
But it was several kilometers from the gas receptor end to the people end of the asteroid.
Industrial Revolution | Poul William AndersonMichael Blades was outside, overseeing the installation of a receptor, when his earplug buzzed.
Industrial Revolution | Poul William AndersonThe observatory's multiple-receptor receiver had been stepped up to maximum amplification.
Operation: Outer Space | William Fitzgerald JenkinsWithin an hour a complete television sending apparatus was placed within the field and a receptor screen set up in the laboratory.
Empire | Clifford Donald SimakHe snapped up, at the bargain price of ten credits, the receptor that Plato offered.
Runaway | William Morrison
British Dictionary definitions for receptor
/ (rɪˈsɛptə) /
physiol a sensory nerve ending that changes specific stimuli into nerve impulses
any of various devices that receive information, signals, etc
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
Scientific definitions for receptor
[ rĭ-sĕp′tər ]
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.
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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Browse