noun
- Sensory nerve cells or organs that detect and respond to chemical stimuli, such as taste, smell, or changes in blood chemistry.
Usage: Usually plural; used in biology and physiology; Can refer to cells in taste buds, olfactory epithelium, or blood vessels
Examples
- Chemoreceptors in your nose allow you to smell food cooking in the kitchen.
- Taste buds contain chemoreceptors that detect sweet, salty, sour, and bitter flavors.
- The body uses chemoreceptors to monitor oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood.
- Chemoreceptors on the tongue help distinguish between different tastes.
- When you smell perfume, chemoreceptors in your olfactory system send signals to your brain.
- Carotid chemoreceptors play an important role in regulating breathing.