OPTIC TRACT Meaning and
Definition
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The optic tract is a bundle of nerve fibers that carries visual information from the retina to the brain. It is a crucial component of the visual pathway, which allows us to perceive and process visual stimuli.
The optic tract is formed by the convergence of the optic nerve fibers from each eye. After leaving the eyes, these fibers gather at the optic chiasm, a structure located near the base of the brain. At the optic chiasm, some of the fibers from each eye cross over to the opposite side of the brain, while others continue on the same side.
Once the optic fibers have passed through the optic chiasm, they assume the name of the optic tract and travel towards the primary visual cortex, primarily located in the occipital lobe at the back of the brain. The fibers of the optic tract synapse with neurons in various structures along the visual pathway, including the lateral geniculate nucleus in the thalamus, where they further relay visual information to the cortex.
This pathway ensures that visual information from both eyes is processed by the brain, allowing for binocular vision, depth perception, and the integration of visual information from different parts of the visual field. Damage or diseases affecting the optic tract can lead to visual impairments and disruptions in visual perception, highlighting the critical role it plays in our visual system.
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A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for OPTIC TRACT
- iptic tract
- kptic tract
- lptic tract
- pptic tract
- 0ptic tract
- 9ptic tract
- ootic tract
- oltic tract
- o-tic tract
- o0tic tract
- opric tract
- opfic tract
- opgic tract
- opyic tract
- op6ic tract
- op5ic tract
- optuc tract
- optjc tract
- optkc tract
Etymology of OPTIC TRACT
The word "optic" comes from the Late Latin term "opticus", which originally derived from the Greek word "optikos". It means "of sight" or "relating to sight".
The term "tract" has its roots in the Latin word "tractus", which means "drawing" or "pulling". It further originated from the Latin verb "trahere", meaning "to draw" or "to pull". In the context of anatomy, the term "tract" refers to a bundle of nerve fibers or axons that are traveling together within the central nervous system.
Therefore, the etymology of the term "optic tract" can be understood as a combination of the Latin-derived word "optic" referring to vision and "tract" indicating a bundle of nerve fibers that carry visual information.
Similar spelling words for OPTIC TRACT
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