| |
receptor
(re-sepītәr)
a molecule on or within a cell that recognizes and binds with specific molecules, producing some effect in the cell. One on
the cell surface is called a cell-surface or membrane receptor, and one inside a cell (usually in its nucleus) is called a nuclear receptor. Examples are the cell-surface receptors of immunocompetent cells that recognize antigens, complement components, or lymphokines, and cell-surface receptors of neurons and target organs that can recognize neurotransmitters or hormones.
a sensory nerve ending that responds to stimuli; called also sensory receptor.

Copyright 2007. An Elsevier publication. All rights reserved.
Click here for important legal information about Dorland's Medical Dictionary.
|