The phrase "to activate a receptor" means to make a specific part of a cell or organ in the body respond or become active when something binds to it. Full definition
If a fatty acid activates the receptor, it triggers a negative effect: the heart rate and the force of muscular contraction are reduced. (sciencedaily.com)
FDA - approved in 2015, eluxadoline (Viberzi) helps control IBS - related diarrhea by activating receptors in your nervous system that reduce bowel contractions. (health.com)
In a major innovation reported last year, Lerner, Zhang and their colleagues developed a basic method for selecting antibodies that not only bind to a given target, such as a cell - surface receptor, but also have a desired biological function — such as activating the receptor on mammalian cells. (sciencedaily.com)