afferent

adjective

Meaning

Moving or carrying inward toward a central organ or point, such as nerves carrying signals to the brain or vessels carrying blood to an organ.

Examples

  • The sensory neurons act as afferent pathways, transmitting information from the skin to the spinal cord.
  • Afferent arterioles supply blood directly into the glomerulus of the kidney.

Synonyms: inward, incoming, centripetal, sensory