optic tract

tract

[trakt] a longitudinal assemblage of tissues or organs, especially a number of anatomic structures arranged in series and serving a common function, such as the gastrointestinal or urinary tract; also used in reference to a bundle (or fasciculus) of nerve fibers having a common origin, function, and termination within the central nervous system.alimentary tract alimentary canal" >alimentary canal.biliary tract the organs, ducts, and other structures that participate in secretion (the liver), storage (the gallbladder), and delivery (hepatic and bile ducts) of bile into the duodenum. See illustration.

Anatomy of the gallbladder and biliary tract. From Aspinall and Taylor-Robinson, 2002.corticospinal t's two groups of nerve fibers (the anterior and lateral corticospinal tracts) that originate in the cerebral cortex and run through the spinal cord.digestive tract alimentary canal" >alimentary canal.dorsolateral tract a group of nerve fibers in the lateral funiculus of the spinal cord dorsal to the posterior column.extrapyramidal tract extrapyramidal system.gastrointestinal tract the stomach and intestine in continuity; see also digestive system.iliotibial tract a thickened longitudinal band of fascia lata extending from the tensor muscle downward to the lateral condyle of the tibia.intestinal tract see intestinal tract.optic tract the nerve tract proceeding backward from the optic chiasm, around the cerebral peduncle, and dividing into a lateral and medial root, which end in the superior colliculus and lateral geniculate body, respectively.pyramidal t's collections of motor nerve fibers arising in the brain and passing down through the spinal cord to motor cells in the anterior horns.respiratory tract system" >respiratory system.urinary tract the organs and passageways concerned in the production and excretion of urine from the kidneys to the meatus" >urinary meatus; see also system" >urinary system.uveal tract the vascular tunic of the eye, comprising the choroid, ciliary body, and iris.

op·tic tract

[TA] the continuation of the optic nerve fibers beyond (behind) the latter's hemidecussation in the optic chiasm; each of the two symmetric optic tracts is composed of fibers originating from the temporal half of the retina of the ipsilateral eye and a nearly equal number of fibers from the nasal half of the contralateral retina; it forms a compact, somewhat flattened fiber band passing caudolaterally alongside the base of the hypothalamus and over the basal surface of the crus cerebri; most of its fibers terminate in the lateral geniculate body; a smaller number of fibers enter the brachium of the superior colliculus, to terminate in the superior colliculus and the pretectal region. Synonym(s): tractus opticus

op·tic tract

(op'tik trakt) [TA] The continuation of the optic nerve fibers beyond their hemidecussation in the optic chiasm; each of the two symmetric optic tracts is composed of fibers originating from the temporal half of the retina of the ipsilateral eye and a nearly equal number of fibers from the nasal half of the contralateral retina; it forms a compact, somewhat flattened fiber band passing caudolaterally along the base of the hypothalamus and over the basal surface of the crus cerebri; most of its fibers terminate in the lateral geniculate body; a smaller number of fibers enter the brachium of the superior colliculus, to terminate in the superior colliculus and the pretectal region.
Synonym(s): tractus opticus [TA] .

optic tract

The part of the nerve pathway for visual impulses lying between the OPTIC CHIASMA and the first set of connections (SYNAPSES) in the brain—the lateral geniculate body. If an optic tract is destroyed half of the field of vision of each eye is lost. The field loss in each eye is on the side opposite to the damaged tract.

optic tract

optic tract

optic tract

optic tract

tract

op·tic tract

op·tic tract

optic tract

optic tract

Synonyms for optic tract

noun the cranial nerve that serves the retina

Synonyms

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