afferent vs. efferent

afferent vs. efferent: What’s the difference?

Afferent is used to describe things like nerves, blood vessels, and arteries that lead toward or bring things (like blood, in the case of arteries) to an organ, such as the heart or brain. Efferent means the opposite—it’s used to describe parts that carry or lead things away from organs or other parts. Think of the e in efferent as standing for exit.