Axons which form peripheral fibers terminate in some peripheral structure to which or from which they convey nerve impulses.
Efferent fibers terminate in tissues which are excited into activity by the nerve impulses somatic efferent fibers in voluntary striated muscle and visceral efferent in smooth muscle or secretory epithelium. These are called effector organs.
Afferent fibers end freely in tissues or in specially organized structures which in either case they receive stimuli which cause them to carry nervous impulses to the CNS. These nerve endings are receptors.
