beta receptor
- noun
- /ˈbeɪtə rɪˈsɛptər/
- Specialized
:
receptor beta
- Many heart medications work by blocking beta receptors to reduce blood pressure.
Well, it blocks beta receptors in your body that normally connect up with adrenaline hormones to get things going.
- Well, it blocks beta receptors in your body that normally connect up with adrenaline hormones to get things going.
Examples
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The activation of beta receptors can lead to increased heart rate during stress.
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Well, it blocks beta receptors in your body that normally connect up with adrenaline hormones to get things going.
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Understanding how beta receptors function helps in managing conditions like asthma.
Synonyms
1
6.5
Part of some cells, especially in the heart and blood vessels, that receives adrenaline and makes the heart beat faster
A cell protein that responds to adrenaline and changes heart rate and blood vessel size
Surface Forms
Morphology
beta + receptor
The phrase denotes a receptor of the 'beta' subtype: 'receptor' retains its basic meaning and 'beta' functions as a subtype/label, so the compound meaning is directly derivable from its parts. Many languages use Greek-letter labels for receptor types, so a learner who knows 'beta' as a label/letter and 'receptor' as a bodily/chemical sensor will understand this as a particular kind of receptor.
Etymology
Beta receptor comes from how scientists name different kinds: beta is a Greek letter used to mean the 'second' type, and a receptor is a part on a cell that 'receives' chemical signals. So a beta receptor is the 'second' kind of receptor that receives certain signals and helps change things like heart rate and breathing.