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afferent

[ af-er-uhnt ]
/ ˈæf ər ənt /
Physiology
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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.

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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

OTHER WORDS FROM afferent

af·fer·ent·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH afferent

afferent , efferent
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use afferent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for afferent

afferent
/ (ˈæfərənt) /

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

Scientific definitions for afferent

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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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