Chemoreceptive

/ˌkiːmoʊrɪˈsɛptɪv/ adjective

Definition

Capable of detecting and responding to chemical stimuli or substances.

Etymology

Derived from 'chemoreception' plus the adjective suffix '-ive' (able to or tending to). This term parallels the development of other sensory adjectives like 'photoreceptive' in 20th-century biology.

Kelly Says

Blind cave fish living in total darkness still have chemoreceptive cells scattered across their skin that let them hunt by chemical signatures alone—proving that taste and smell can be as powerful as vision.

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