nociceptor

1. (anatomy) A sensory receptor that sends signals that cause the perception of pain in response to a potentially damaging stimulus.Examples: "He divides receptors into three classes— "nociceptors", such as the nerve-endings for pain and hunger, "beneceptors", such as the nerve-endings stimulated when sugar melts on the tongue, and "neutroceptors", such as the nerve-endings in the eye and ear, called " neutroceptors" because they receive more or less indiscriminately both pleasant and unpleasant messages."; "The “beneceptors,” “nociceptors,” and "neutroceptors” generally signalled stimuli that were, respectively, beneficial, harmful, or neutral as regards the organism or its species."Synonyms: nocisensorAntonyms: beneceptor