Optic disc

The optic disc or optic nerve head is the point of exit for ganglion cell axons leaving the eye. Because there are no rods or cones overlying the optic disc, it corresponds to a small blind spot in each eye.

This article is about the anatomical feature of the eye. For digital storage media such as CDs and DVDs, see optical disc.
Not to be confused with the fovea centralis, a nearby structure that also carries signals to the optic nerve.
Optic disc
Ophthalmoscopy photograph showing the optic disc as a bright area on the right where blood vessels converge.
The terminal portion of the optic nerve and its entrance into the eyeball, in horizontal section.
Details
SynonymsOptic disk, optic disc, optic nerve head, blind spot, Mariotte blind spot, Mariotte's blind spot, optic papilla, discus nervi optici [TA], papilla nervi optici, porus opticus)
Identifiers
Latindiscus nervi optici
MeSHD009898
TA98A15.2.04.019
TA26788
FMA58634
Anatomical terminology

The ganglion cell axons form the optic nerve after they leave the eye. The optic disc represents the beginning of the optic nerve and is the point where the axons of retinal ganglion cells come together. The optic disc in a normal human eye carries 1–1.2 million afferent nerve fibers from the eye toward the brain. The optic disc is also the entry point for the major arteries that supply the retina with blood, and the exit point for the veins from the retina.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.