receptor

[ri-sep-ter] /rɪˈsɛp tər/
noun
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.
Origin
1400-50; late Middle English receptour < Old French < Latin receptor. See reception, -tor
Examples from the web for receptor
  • Julius also has evidence that the receptor is responsible for to inflammation.
  • Each allele codes for a bitter taste receptor protein with a slightly different shape.
  • One is the insulin receptor, or tiny cell structure, that controls levels of blood sugar.
  • The receptor discovery is not the only good news for proponents of medical cannabinoids.
  • Eventually these grains come to rest on another flower's stigma, a tiny pollen receptor.
  • It was long known that nicotine acts on the same receptor as the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
  • To be precise, they have been linked to a hormone called vasopressin and the protein molecule that acts as its receptor.
  • However, the gene that encodes this receptor comes in two varieties.
  • He is fitting mice with the human receptor for the polio virus.
  • They found what they were looking for in the form of an antibody to a substance called insulin-receptor protein.
British Dictionary definitions for receptor

receptor

/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
Word Origin and History for receptor
n.

mid-15c., from Old French receptour or directly from Latin receptor, agent noun from recipere (see receive). Medical use from 1900.

receptor in Medicine

receptor re·cep·tor (rĭ-sěp'tər)
n.

  1. A specialized cell or group of nerve endings that responds to sensory stimuli.

  2. A molecular structure or site on the surface or interior of a cell that binds with substances such as hormones, antigens, drugs, or neurotransmitters.

receptor in Science
receptor
  (rĭ-sěp'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.