Combining with an extracellular messenger (called a death ligand), and transmitting the signal from one side of the plasma membrane to the other to initiate apoptotic or necrotic cell death. [GOC:bf, GOC:BHF, GOC:ecd, GOC:mtg_apoptosis, GOC:rl, PMID:10209153]
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C5: Ontology GO: Gene Ontology GO:MF: GO Molecular Function