A chemical agent that induces movement of cells in the direction of its highest concentration

A substance exhibiting chemical properties that attract biological cells during chemotaxis.

Inorganic or organic substances possessing chemotaxis inducer effect in motile cells. Effect of chemoattractants is elicited via described or hypothetic chemotaxis receptors, the chemoattractant moiety of a ligand is target cell specific and concentration dependent. Most frequently investigated chemoattractants are formyl peptides and chemokines.