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receptor

receptor

61 6.1
A part of the body like a cell that receives chemical or nerve signals and reacts
  • noun
  • /rɪˈsɛptər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : receptor
  • When the neurotransmitter attaches to the receptor, it triggers a response in the nerve cell.
  • sensory receptors
  • cell receptor
  • receptor binding

That is, it can bind to the BDNF receptor, it can mimic BDNF.

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Examples

  • The clinical effects of antipsychotic drugs are thought to involve dopamine receptor blockade in the brain.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Every lymphocyte has a specific receptor with unique specificity.

  • And the T cell receptor has two chains.

  • When the drug binds to the receptor, a complex is formed that may produce two results.

    Academic text (2011)
  • And when the growth hormone locks into the receptor, we begin growing.

  • And it's the same receptor that the SARS virus clicked into.

  • And those cancer cells that have these receptors will respond to EPO by growing.

  • They've identified these receptors in the brain that activate specific circuits.

  • Its nose has over 220 million scent receptors.

  • You inject him with this drug, and it blocks the opiate receptors in the brain.

Synonyms

sensory receptor
vsreceptor
  • Specialized
1 5.8

A body part that senses touch, light, or sound and sends signals to the brain

is broader, applying to proteins, cells, or organs that receive chemical or nerve signals

Antonyms

effector
  • Specialized
1 8.5

A body part like a muscle or gland that acts after a signal

Compounds

sensory receptor
  • Specialized
1 5.8

A body part that senses touch, light, or sound and sends signals to the brain

1 6.5

Part of some cells, especially in the heart and blood vessels, that receives adrenaline and makes the heart beat faster

stretch receptor
  • Specialized
1 7.2

A small part in a muscle that senses when it stretches

beta receptor
  • Specialized
5.1

A part on nerve cells that reacts to certain signals and makes the heart beat faster or blood vessels widen

alpha receptor
  • Specialized
7.8

A part on nerve cells that makes blood vessels and muscles in organs tighten

7.4

A protein on nerve and blood vessel cells that reacts to body chemicals to make vessels narrow and muscles contract

Surface Forms

receptor singular
receptors plural

Morphology

receptor = receive (semi-transparent) = recept + or

Formally an agent/thing-forming suffix '-or' added to a Latin-based stem meaning 'receive'; the sense is predictable but the stem's form ('recept-') differs from the familiar English verb 'receive', which may confuse learners.

Etymology

The word receptor comes from the Latin recipere, which means 'to receive' or 'to take'. Like the common verb receive, a receptor is a part of the body that 'receives' signals and then responds to them.