General visceral efferent fibers

General visceral efferent fibers

Scheme showing structure of a typical spinal nerve.
1. Somatic efferent.
2. Somatic afferent.
3,4,5. Sympathetic efferent.
6,7. Sympathetic afferent.

Anatomical terminology

The term general efferent fibers (GVE or visceral efferent or autonomic efferent) refers to the efferent neurons of the autonomic nervous system that provide motor innervation to smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and glands (contrast with SVE fibers).[1]

GVE fibers may be either sympathetic or parasympathetic.[2]

The cranial nerves containing GVE fibers include the oculomotor nerve (CN III), the facial nerve (CN VII), the glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX) and the vagus nerve (CN X).[3]

Additional images

See also

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

References

  1. ↑ Drake, Vogl, Mitchell (2010). Gray's Anatomy for Students, 2nd Edition. Elsevier.
  2. ↑ Drake, Vogl, Mitchell (2010). Gray's Anatomy for Students, 2nd Edition. Elsevier.
  3. ↑ Mehta, Samir et al. Step-Up: A High-Yield, Systems-Based Review for the USMLE Step 1. Baltimore, MD: LWW, 2003.


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