| 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).