afferent
/ˈæf.ər.ənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈæf.ɚ.ənt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈa-fə-rənt -ˌfer-ənt, -ˌfe-rənt/ (ame, mw)
afferent — adjective
- afferentpositive
- more afferentcomparative
- most afferentsuperlative
1. describing a nerve, pathway, or similar structure that carries information inwar
describing a nerve, pathway, or similar structure that carries information inward from the body toward the brain, spinal cord, or another central area
The doctor tested whether afferent nerves in Mei's foot still carried pain signals.
collocation: afferent nerves
A scan showed damaged afferent fibres near the injured part of Luis's hand.
collocation: afferent fibres
The textbook explains how afferent pathways send touch information to the brain.
After the fall, doctors checked the afferent signals from Hana's leg.
In the diagram, blue lines marked the afferent branch of the reflex arc.
- sensory
broader and more common; often overlaps with nerve function rather than marking direction precisely
- centripetal
older or more specialized term for movement toward a centre
- efferent
technical opposite meaning carrying signals away from a central area
文法句型
afferent + nerve / fibre / pathway / signal
be afferent
用法筆記
Used mainly in anatomy, neuroscience, and medical writing. It marks the inward direction of a signal or pathway and is often contrasted with efferent, which describes movement away from a central area.
常見錯誤
afferent — noun
1. a nerve, or sometimes a vessel, that carries signals or fluid inward to a more c
a nerve, or sometimes a vessel, that carries signals or fluid inward to a more central part of the body
The damaged afferent no longer carried pain signals from Omar's finger.
noun use: afferent as a nerve
In the lab, students traced one afferent from the skin to the spine.
pattern: afferent from X to Y
The scan showed an afferent linking the burned hand to the spinal cord.
Damage to an afferent can stop heat signals reaching the brain.
The surgeon protected each afferent while removing tissue near the nerve root.
- sensory nerve
common explanatory term when the structure is specifically a nerve rather than a vessel
- input pathway
teaching term that is broader and less exact than the anatomical noun
- efferent
a nerve or vessel carrying signals away from a central area
文法句型
an afferent
afferent + from / to
用法筆記
In most medical writing, this noun refers to a sensory nerve rather than a vessel. Writers use it when the direction of the pathway matters more than the body part itself.