microvillus

n. (pl. microvilli) a slender, minute structure projecting from the surface of a cell. For example, in taste perception, a microvillus is the hairlike extension of each taste cell that projects through the pore of a taste bud to sample the environment. Although a microvillus accounts for only 3% of the surface area of a taste cell, it is studded with receptor proteins that recognize specific molecules and is the site of taste transduction.

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Psychology term of the day

February 28th 2025

common metric

a unit or scale of measurement that is applied to data from different sources. In a meta-analysis, for instance, the results from multiple studies may need to be placed on a common metric so that they may be meaningfully compared.