Which type of neuron carries impulses away from the central nervous system?

Efferent neurons are specifically designed to carry impulses away from the central nervous system (CNS) to the periphery, such as muscles and glands. This type of neuron plays a crucial role in facilitating movement and responses by transmitting signals that instruct muscles to contract or glands to release hormones. They are a vital part of the motor system, ensuring that the brain's commands are executed effectively.

While motor neurons are indeed associated with carrying signals to muscles, they are essentially a subset of efferent neurons. Thus, the term "efferent neurons" encompasses all neurons that send outputs from the CNS, including the various types of motor neurons for voluntary and involuntary actions.

In contrast, interneurons serve as connectors and communicators between sensory and motor neurons within the CNS itself, and afferent neurons carry sensory information from the periphery back to the CNS, not away from it. Understanding the roles of these different types of neurons helps clarify the flow of information in the nervous system.