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photoreceptor

 
Dictionary: pho·to·re·cep·tor   ('tō-rĭ-sĕp'tər) pronunciation
 
n.

A nerve ending, cell, or group of cells specialized to sense or receive light.


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Medical Dictionary: pho·to·re·cep·tor
 
('tō-rĭ-sĕp'tər)
n.

A nerve ending, cell, or group of cells specialized to sense or receive light.

 
Veterinary Dictionary: photoreceptor
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A nerve end organ or receptor sensitive to light. In the retina of the eye, the outer limbs of rods and cones make up the photoreceptor layer.

 
Wikipedia: Photoreceptor
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Photoreceptor can refer to:

In anatomy/cell biology:

  • Photoreceptor cell: a photosensitive cell, most commonly referring to a specialized type of neuron found in the retina of vertebrate eyes that is capable of phototransduction
  • Ocellus (invertebrate photoreceptor): a photoreceptor organ ("simple eye") of invertebrates often comprised of a few sensory cells and a single lens
  • Eyespot apparatus (microbial photoreceptor): the photoreceptor organelle of a unicellular organism that allows for phototaxis

In biochemistry:

  • Photoreceptor protein: a chromoprotein that responds to being exposed to a certain wavelength of light by initiating a signal transduction cascade
  • Photopigment: an unstable pigment that undergoes a physical or chemical change upon absorbing a particular wavelength of light; also see

In technology:

  • Photodetector or photosensor: a device that detects light by capturing photons

 
 

 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Medical Dictionary. The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company Read more
Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Photoreceptor" Read more