| Efferent nerve fiber | |
|---|---|
 In the peripheral nervous system, afferent and efferent projections are always from the perspective of the spinal cord. | |
| Details | |
| System | Peripheral nervous system |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | neurofibrae efferentes |
| TA98 | A14.2.00.018 |
| TH | H2.00.06.1.00016 |
| FMA | 76571 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
Efferent nerve fibers are the axons of efferent neurons that exit a particular region. These terms have a slightly different meaning in the context of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and central nervous system (CNS). The efferent fiber is a long process projecting far from the neuron's body that carries nerve impulses away from the central nervous system toward the peripheral effector organs (muscles and glands). A bundle of these fibers constitute an efferent nerve.[1] The opposite direction of neural activity is afferent conduction,[2][3][4] which carries impulses by way of the afferent nerve fibers of sensory neurons.
In the nervous system, there is a "closed loop" system of sensation, decision, and reactions. This process is carried out through the activity of sensory neurons, interneurons, and motor neurons.
In the CNS, afferent and efferent projections can be from the perspective of any given brain region. That is, each brain region has its own unique set of afferent and efferent projections. In the context of a given brain region, afferents are arriving fibers while efferents are exiting fibers.
- ^ "Efferent nerve fibre | anatomy | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ Mader S. S. (2000): Human biology. McGraw-Hill, New York, ISBN 0-07-290584-0; ISBN 0-07-117940-2.
- ^ Hall J. E., Guyton A. C. (2006): Textbook of medical physiology, 11th edition. Elsevier Saunders, St. Louis, Mo, ISBN 0-7216-0240-1.
- ^ Warrell D. A., Cox T. M., Firth J. D. (2010): The Oxford Textbook of Medicine Archived 2012-03-21 at the Wayback Machine (5th ed.). Oxford University Press