afferent

[af-er-uh nt]Physiology

See more synonyms for afferent on Thesaurus.com

adjective

bringing to or leading toward an organ or part, as a nerve or arteriole (opposed to efferent).

noun

a nerve carrying a message toward the central nervous system.

Origin of afferent

1830–40; < Latin afferent- (stem of afferēns, present participle of afferre), equivalent to af- af- + fer- (stem of ferre to carry) + -ent- -ent

Related formsaf·fer·ent·ly, adverb

Can be confusedafferent efferent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for afferent

auditory, visual, sensual, tactile, sonic, neurological, neural, audiovisual, olfactory, aural, sensational, acoustic, audible, auricular, clear, discernible, distinct, ocular, perceptible, plain

Examples from the Web for afferent

Historical Examples of afferent

It is the latter or afferent function with which we are now concerned.
Second Sight
Sepharial
There are two divisions of nerves, the afferent and efferent.
Special Report on Diseases of Cattle
U.S. Department of Agriculture
In some cases ligation of the afferent vessels has been successful.
Manual of Surgery
Alexis Thomson and Alexander Miles
The lesions of the arteriosclerotic kidney are due to narrowing and eventual obstruction of the afferent vessels.
Arteriosclerosis and Hypertension:
Louis Marshall Warfield
Branchial hearts are formed on the afferent vessels of the branchiae.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 6
Various

British Dictionary definitions for afferent

afferent

adjective

bringing or directing inwards to a part or an organ of the body, esp towards the brain or spinal cordCompare efferent

Word Origin for afferent

C19: from Latin afferre to carry to, from ad- to + ferre to carry

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

afferent in Medicine

afferent

[ăf′ər-ənt]

adj.

Carrying inward to a central organ or section, as nerves that conduct impulses from the periphery of the body to the brain or spinal cord.

An afferent organ or body part, such as a blood vessel.

afferent in Science

afferent

[ăf′ər-ənt]

Carrying sensory information toward a central organ or part, as a nerve that conducts impulses from the periphery of the body to the central nervous system. Compare efferent.