baroreceptor /ber′ōrisep″tər/ [Gk, baros + L, recipere, to receive] , one of the pressure-sensitive nerve endings in the walls of the atria of the heart, the aortic arch, and the carotid sinuses. Baroreceptors stimulate central reflex mechanisms that allow physiological adjustment and adaptation to changes in blood pressure via changes in heart rate, vasodilation, or vasoconstriction. Baroreceptors are essential for homeostasis. Also called pressoreceptor.
