Neuroreceptor

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A protein that mediates communication in the nervous system by binding neurotransmitters and transmitting signals between nerve cells
2. A molecule located on neurons that receives chemical messages to trigger nerve impulses
3. A specialized protein in a nerve cell membrane that detects neurotransmitter molecules and helps relay signals

Etymology: Neuroreceptor is a compound built from two parts: "neuro-", from Greek "neuron" meaning "sinew, nerve," and "receptor," from Latin "receptor," meaning "one who receives." Joined together, the pieces describe exactly what the molecule does: it is a receiver located on nerve cells. The first part traces back to a Greek word that originally meant "sinew" or "cord" before it came to mean the nerves that carry signals through the body. English adopted "neuro-" as a combining form, so it now appears in many scientific terms such as neurology and neuron. The second part, "receptor," comes from the Latin verb "recipere," "to take back" or "to receive," and has long been used in English for anything that takes in something from outside. Because the word is a transparent combination of two established scientific elements, its meaning can be read straight from its parts. It is a technical coinage built from familiar building blocks rather than a word with a dramatic tale behind it.