The part of a nerve fiber that conducts impulses toward the nerve cell body, also called an axon (in some older anatomical terminology).
From Greek ana- (up) + dendron (tree), literally 'tree going upward.' This term is largely archaic, replaced by more precise modern terminology like axon and dendrite.
This word reveals how anatomists used to imagine nerve signals traveling 'upward' toward the brain, even though we now understand neurons work in multiple directions! It's a beautiful example of how metaphors in old science can become outdated.
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