What is the optic tract of the eye?

The optic tract is an extension of the optic nerve located in the brain. It begins at the area where information from the left eye and right eye cross (or “decussate”) to create a complete visual picture.

What is the main function of the optic tract?

The optic tract primarily conveys visual information from the optic chiasm to the lateral geniculate nuclei.

What does the optic tract contain?

Each optic tract contains the fibres from the ipsilateral temporal and contralateral nasal retina. Thus, the right optic tract contains fibres from the right halves of the right and left retinae, and the left optic tract from the left halves of the right and left retinae of the eyeballs.

What is the difference between the optic nerve and the optic tract?

The key difference between Optic Nerve and Optic tract is that the Optic nerve is the nerve that connects your eye to the brain while the Optic tract is a part of the visual system of our brain.

Where does the optic tract run?

optic chiasm
The optic tract is a cylindric, slightly flattened band of fibers approximately 3.5 mm high and 5.1 mm long that runs from the posterolateral corner of the optic chiasm to the LGN. Most of the fibers (which are still the axons of retinal ganglion cells) terminate in the LGN.

Why is optic nerve a tract?

1. The axons of the optic nerve are extensions of the retinal ganglion cells whose unmyelinated axons form much of the nerve fiber layer of the neural retina. The myelinated orbital portion of the optic nerve can be considered more a tract of the brain than a true cranial nerve.

What happens if left optic tract is severed?

Damage at site #1: this would be like losing sight in the left eye. The entire left optic nerve would be cut and there would be a total loss of vision from the left eye.

Is the optic tract part of the thalamus?

The vast majority of optic tract fibers terminate on neurons in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of the thalamus (Figure 15.3A).

What happens if optic tract is cut?

Damage at site #1: this would be like losing sight in the left eye. The entire left optic nerve would be cut and there would be a total loss of vision from the left eye. Damage at site #2: partial damage to the left optic nerve.

Where does the optic tract terminate?

lateral geniculate nucleus
The vast majority of optic tract fibers terminate on neurons in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of the thalamus (Figure 15.3A).

What happens if you cut the left optic tract?

What connects the eye to the brain?

The optic nerve carries signals from the retina to the brain, which interprets them as visual images.