The term “afferently” refers to the transmission of sensory information from the periphery of the body to the central nervous system. It is an important concept in the field of neuroscience, as it helps to explain how the brain receives and processes information from the environment.
Definitions
Afferently is an adverb that describes the direction of neural impulses. It refers to the transmission of sensory information from the periphery of the body to the central nervous system. Afferent neurons are responsible for carrying this information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord.
Origin
The word “afferently” is derived from the Latin word “afferentia”, which means “to bring to”. The term was first used in the late 19th century by neurologists and physiologists to describe the direction of neural impulses.
Meaning in different dictionaries
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, afferently means “in a direction toward a central organ or part”. The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as “in the direction of the central nervous system or a central organ”.
Associations
Afferently is closely associated with the concept of sensory processing. It is also related to the terms “afferent neurons” and “afferent pathways”, which describe the neural pathways that carry sensory information to the brain.
Synonyms
Some synonyms for afferently include “centripetally”, “inwardly”, and “toward the centre”.
Antonyms
The antonym of afferently is “efferently”, which refers to the transmission of motor impulses from the central nervous system to the periphery of the body.
The same root words
Afferently is derived from the Latin word “afferentia”, which is also the root word for “afferent neurons” and “afferent pathways”.
Example Sentences
- The sensory information from the skin is transmitted afferently to the spinal cord.
- Afferently transmitted signals are processed in the brain to create our perception of the world.
- The afferent neurons in the eye carry visual information to the brain for processing.