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In the nervous system, 'efferent nerves' – otherwise known as motor or effector neurons – carry nerve impulses ''away'' from the central nervous system to effectors such as muscles or glands (and also the ciliated cells of the inner ear). The term can also be used to describe relative connections between nervous structures. The opposite activity of direction or flow is 'afferent' .
The motor nerves are efferent nerves involved in muscular control. The cell body of the efferent neuron is found in the central nervous system where it is connected to a single, long axon and several short dendrites projecting out of the cell body itself. This axon then forms a neuromuscular junction with the effectors. The cell body of the motor neuron is satellite-shaped. The motor neuron is present in the grey matter of the spinal cord and medulla oblongata, and forms an electrochemical pathway to the effector organ or muscle.

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Etymology and Mnemonics

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References

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Etymology and Mnemonics

Both afferent and efferent come from french, as evolution from latin (much used in medicine and biology) of respectively ''ad ferentes'' (latin verb ''fero'' : I carry), meaning carrying into, and ''ex ferentes'', meaning carrying away. ''Ad'' and ''ex'' give an easy mnemonic device for remembering the relationship between ''afferent'' and ''efferent'' : '''a'fferent connection 'a'rrives'' and an '''e'fferent connection 'e'xits''.^[1]

See also

★ Afferent nerve

★ Motor nerve

★ Interneuron

★ General somatic efferent fibers

★ General visceral efferent fibers

References

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