Acceptores

Acceptores is a term used in several scientific and technical contexts to refer to entities that receive or take in something from another party as part of a process. In English-language texts, the singular form acceptor is standard, while acceptores appears in multilingual or translated works as the plural form.

In chemistry and biochemistry, electron acceptors are species that accept electrons during redox reactions. Common examples include molecular oxygen in aerobic respiration, nitrate or sulfate in anaerobic respiration, and carbon dioxide in certain microbial processes. Electron acceptors differ in redox potential and availability, and their choice shapes energy yield and metabolic pathways. In the framework of Lewis theory, a Lewis acid is described as an electron-pair acceptor, in contrast to a Lewis base that donates electrons.

In environmental science and physiology, terminal electron acceptors influence how organisms extract energy from nutrients under different conditions. Under anaerobic or oxygen-poor environments, microbes switch to alternative acceptors such as nitrate, sulfate, ferric iron, or carbon dioxide, altering biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem functioning. The concept of acceptors also appears in industrial processes that involve electron transfer, bioremediation, and energy production, where the identity and availability of acceptors affect efficiency and outcomes.

Beyond chemistry, acceptor-like roles appear in information processing and communications, where an entity may be described as accepting input, tokens, or signals as part of a protocol or workflow. The general notion of an acceptor emphasizes compatibility and capacity to receive what is offered, making it a cross-disciplinary idea rather than a single-field term.