Ligand-gated ion channels

 Ligand-gated ion channels (LICs, LGIC), also commonly referred to as ionotropic receptors, are a group of transmembrane ion-channel proteins which open to allow ions such as Na+, K+, Ca2+, and/or Cl− to pass through the membrane in response to the binding of a chemical messenger (i.e. a ligand), such as a neurotransmitter.

Ligand-gated channel

Neurotransmitter receptor that acts as an ion channel gate, and opens by the binding of the neurotransmitter. Another name for an ionotropic receptor