Optic tract

Optic tract
Optic tract
	The left optic nerve and the optic tracts.
Details
Part of	Visual system
Identifiers
Latin	tractus opticus
MeSH	D065866
NeuroNames	460
NeuroLex ID	birnlex_1684
TA98	A14.1.08.404
TA2	5669
FMA	62046
	Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy

In neuroanatomy, the optic tract (from Latin tractus opticus) is a part of the visual system in the brain. It is a continuation of the optic nerve that relays information from the optic chiasm to the ipsilateral lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), pretectal nuclei, and superior colliculus.^[1]

It is composed of two individual tracts, the left optic tract and the right optic tract, each of which conveys visual information exclusive to its respective contralateral half of the visual field. Each of these tracts is derived from a combination of temporal and nasal retinal fibers from each eye that corresponds to one half of the visual field. In more specific terms, the optic tract contains fibers from the ipsilateral temporal hemiretina and contralateral nasal hemiretina.

^ Optic tract. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/430336/optic-tract (accessed Nov 1, 2013).

[1] Optic tract. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/430336/optic-tract (accessed Nov 1, 2013).

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