Look up photoreceptor in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Photoreceptor can refer to:
In anatomy/cell biology:
- Photoreceptor cell, a photosensitive cell in the retina of vertebrate eyes
- Simple eye in invertebrates (Ocellus), photoreceptor organ ("simple eye") of invertebrates often composed 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
- Photosynthetic pigment, molecules involved in transducing light into chemical energy
In technology:
- Photodetector or photosensor, a device that detects light by capturing photons