Definition of afferent in English:
afferent
adjective ˈaf(ə)r(ə)ntˈæf(ə)rənt
Physiology Conducting or conducted inwards or towards something (for nerves, the central nervous system; for blood vessels, the organ supplied).
The opposite of efferent
Example sentencesExamples
- Hypoxia could disturb respiratory afferent pathways and neural processing at more than one level.
- There is increasing support for the idea that in asthma the efferent and afferent nerve fibers may be changed in their capacity to be stimulated.
- Sensory systems are generally presumed to convey peripheral afferent signals to the central nervous system with a high degree of fidelity.
- Cough is mediated by the interaction of sensory afferent nerves, central cough reflexes, and local axon reflexes.
- In addition, the dorsal central column of primary afferent fibers within the spinal cord appears susceptible to the inhibitory effects of hypoxia in rats.
noun ˈaf(ə)r(ə)ntˈæf(ə)rənt
An afferent nerve fibre or vessel.
Example sentencesExamples
- In addition, cholinergic afferents can be stimulated by a variety of mediators involved in allergen-induced airway inflammation.
- It may also be the site of projection of proprioceptive afferents from the respiratory muscles and chest wall.
- Muscle receptor afferents are involved in the level and timing of respiratory activity.
- These afferents bypass the olfactory neuropil in the antennal lobe to project into the antennal mechanosensory and motor centers.
- Proprioceptor afferents project to the phrenic motor neurons and affect their firing rate.
Origin
Mid 19th century: from Latin afferent- 'bringing towards', from the verb afferre, from ad- 'to' + ferre 'bring'.
Definition of afferent in US English:
afferent
adjectiveˈæf(ə)rəntˈaf(ə)rənt
Physiology Conducting or conducted inward or toward something (for nerves, the central nervous system; for blood vessels, the organ supplied).
The opposite of efferent
Example sentencesExamples
- In addition, the dorsal central column of primary afferent fibers within the spinal cord appears susceptible to the inhibitory effects of hypoxia in rats.
- Cough is mediated by the interaction of sensory afferent nerves, central cough reflexes, and local axon reflexes.
- Hypoxia could disturb respiratory afferent pathways and neural processing at more than one level.
- Sensory systems are generally presumed to convey peripheral afferent signals to the central nervous system with a high degree of fidelity.
- There is increasing support for the idea that in asthma the efferent and afferent nerve fibers may be changed in their capacity to be stimulated.
nounˈæf(ə)rəntˈaf(ə)rənt
An afferent nerve fiber or vessel.
Example sentencesExamples
- These afferents bypass the olfactory neuropil in the antennal lobe to project into the antennal mechanosensory and motor centers.
- Muscle receptor afferents are involved in the level and timing of respiratory activity.
- Proprioceptor afferents project to the phrenic motor neurons and affect their firing rate.
- In addition, cholinergic afferents can be stimulated by a variety of mediators involved in allergen-induced airway inflammation.
- It may also be the site of projection of proprioceptive afferents from the respiratory muscles and chest wall.
Origin
Mid 19th century: from Latin afferent- ‘bringing towards’, from the verb afferre, from ad- ‘to’ + ferre ‘bring’.