A sensory cell or sensory receptor, especially in invertebrates; a cell capable of perceiving stimuli.
From Greek 'aisthetikos' (perceptible to the senses) + '-cyte' (cell). This biological term describes cells specialized for sensation and perception in various organisms.
Esthacytes in sea stars and sea cucumbers allow them to sense light, touch, and chemicals without any brain—their entire body is one distributed sense organ!
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