afferent vs. efferent

afferent vs. efferent: ’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.

afferent

adjective

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

noun

  1. a nerve carrying a message toward the central nervous system.

efferent

adjective

  1. conveying or conducting away from an organ or part ( afferent ).

noun

  1. an efferent part, as a nerve or blood vessel.