GO:0008329

Combining with a pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP), a structure conserved among microbial species, or damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP), an endogenous molecule released from damaged cells), and transmitting a signal to initiate a change in cell activity. [GOC:ar, PMID:12507420, PMID:12925128, PMID:14523544, Wikipedia:Pattern_recognition_receptor]