Which neuron connects neurons within the central nervous system?

• A. Afferent Neuron
• B. Efferent Neuron
• C. Interneuron
• D. Sensory Neuron

Answer: (C)

Inside the central nervous system, there are specialized neurons whose job is to link other neurons, process information, and coordinate responses. These are interneurons. They receive input from other neurons, integrate that information, and pass signals to other neurons within the brain or spinal cord, making them the connectors within the CNS. Interneurons (often called association neurons) are distinct from sensory neurons, which bring information into the CNS, and motor (efferent) neurons, which carry commands out to muscles and glands. Sensory neurons are a type of afferent neuron that detects stimuli, not the connectors inside the CNS. So the neuron that connects neurons within the central nervous system is the interneuron.