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Pharmacology
Receptor
Receptor - A docking site on or in a cell that a messenger binds to, triggering a signal inside the cell. Agonists and antagonists act through receptors.
Also called binding sitedocking sitereceptor
A receptor is a specialized protein structure on the cell surface (or inside the cell) that a matching messenger binds to. That binding triggers a response in the cell.
Lock-and-key
Picture the receptor as a lock: only matching molecules bind. An agonist (a substance that activates the receptor) turns the lock; an antagonist (a substance that blocks the receptor) blocks it.
This is also why many medications work by docking onto specific receptors: it helps explain why a drug has the effect it does, where it acts, and why drug interactions can occur.