definition of the word receptor

From Old French receptour or Latin receptor.

• IPA: /ɹɪˈsɛptə/

receptor (plural receptors)

1. (biochemistry, medicine) A structure on a cell wall that binds with specific molecules so that they can be absorbed into the cell in order to control certain functions.
   • 2001: In the target organ, the drug is recognised by ‘receptors’. These are large molecules, usually proteins, to which the drug binds tightly and with a high degree of specificity. — Leslie Iversen, Drugs: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford 2001, p. 24)
2. (biology) Any specialized cell or structure that responds to sensory stimuli.

• effector

Definition from Wiktionary Content avaible with GNU Free Documentation License

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