Tyrosine-protein kinase that acts as cell-surface receptor for fibroblast growth factors and plays an essential role in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, migration and apoptosis, and in the regulation of embryonic development. Required for normal embryonic patterning, limb bud development, lung morphogenesis, osteogenesis and skin development. Plays an essential role in the regulation of osteoblast differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis, and is required for normal skeleton development. Promotes cell proliferation in keratinocytes and immature osteoblasts, but promotes apoptosis in differentiated osteoblasts. Phosphorylates PLCG1, FRS2 and PAK4. Ligand binding leads to the activation of several signaling cascades. Activation of PLCG1 leads to the production of the cellular signaling molecules diacylglycerol and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate. Phosphorylation of FRS2 triggers recruitment of GRB2, GAB1, PIK3R1 and SOS1, and mediates activation of RAS, MAPK1/ERK2, MAPK3/ERK1 and the MAP kinase signaling pathway, as well as of the AKT1 signaling pathway. FGFR2 signaling is down-regulated by ubiquitination, internalization and degradation. Mutations that lead to constitutive kinase activation or impair normal FGFR2 maturation, internalization and degradation lead to aberrant signaling. Over-expressed FGFR2 promotes activation of STAT1 (By similarity). ATP + L-tyrosyl-[protein] = ADP + H(+) + O-phospho-L-tyrosyl-[protein] Present in an inactive conformation in the absence of bound ligand. Ligand binding leads to dimerization and activation by autophosphorylation on tyrosine residues (By similarity). Monomer. Homodimer after ligand binding (By similarity). Detected on osteoblast plasma membrane lipid rafts. After ligand binding, the activated receptor is rapidly internalized and degraded (By similarity). Expressed in the anterior neural plate in early neurula stage embryos. Later in development, the protein is also expressed in the eye anlagen, midbrain-hindbrain boundary and otic vesicle. The second and third Ig-like domains directly interact with fibroblast growth factors (FGF) and heparan sulfate proteoglycans. Autophosphorylated. Binding of FGF family members together with heparan sulfate proteoglycan or heparin promotes receptor dimerization and autophosphorylation on tyrosine residues. Autophosphorylation occurs in trans between the two FGFR molecules present in the dimer (By similarity). N-glycosylated in the endoplasmic reticulum. The N-glycan chains undergo further maturation to an Endo H-resistant form in the Golgi apparatus (By similarity). Ubiquitinated. FGFR2 is rapidly ubiquitinated after autophosphorylation, leading to internalization and degradation. Subject to degradation both in lysosomes and by the proteasome (By similarity). Belongs to the protein kinase superfamily. Tyr protein kinase family. Fibroblast growth factor receptor subfamily.