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photoreceptor

[ foh-toh-ri-sep-ter ]

noun

, Physiology, Biology.
  1. a receptor stimulated by light.


photoreceptor

/ ˌfəʊtəʊrɪˈsɛptə /

noun

  1. zoology physiol a light-sensitive cell or organ that conveys impulses through the sensory neuron connected to it
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


photoreceptor

/ fō′tō-rĭ-sĕptər /

  1. A specialized structure or cell that is sensitive to light. In vertebrate animals, the photoreceptors are the rods and cones of the eye's retina.
  2. See Note at circadian rhythm
  3. An electronic device that converts light energy into electrical signals. Photoreceptors are used in photocopy and facsimile machines, cameras, and solar cells.


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Word History and Origins

Origin of photoreceptor1

First recorded in 1905–10; photo- + receptor
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Example Sentences

The key lies in the rod-shaped photoreceptors that principally govern peripheral vision and the cone-shaped receptors that give us our central view of the world.

From Time

Those photoreceptor cells pass information to the brain via bipolar cells and ganglion cells.

When they detect certain wavelengths of visible light, the photoreceptors trigger electrical signals.

These nanowires act as the artificial equivalent of photoreceptors.

Response and recovery times in human photoreceptors range from 40 to 150 milliseconds.

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