Optic nerve
Overview
The optic nerve, also called cranial nerve 2, transmits visual information from the retina
to the brain
. Derived from the embryo
nic retinal ganglion cell, a diverticulum located in the diencephalon
, the optic nerve doesn't regenerate after transection.
The optic nerve is the second of twelve paired cranial nerves but is considered to be part of the central nervous system
, as it is derived from an outpouching of the diencephalon
during embryonic development.
Retina
The vertebrate retina is a light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye. The optics of the eye create an image of the visual world on the retina, which serves much the same function as the film in a camera. Light striking the retina initiates a cascade of chemical and electrical...
to the brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
. Derived from the embryo
Embryo
An embryo is a multicellular diploid eukaryote in its earliest stage of development, from the time of first cell division until birth, hatching, or germination...
nic retinal ganglion cell, a diverticulum located in the diencephalon
Diencephalon
The diencephalon is the region of the vertebrate neural tube which gives rise to posterior forebrain structures. In development, the forebrain develops from the prosencephalon, the most anterior vesicle of the neural tube which later forms both the diencephalon and the...
, the optic nerve doesn't regenerate after transection.
The optic nerve is the second of twelve paired cranial nerves but is considered to be part of the central nervous system
Central nervous system
The central nervous system is the part of the nervous system that integrates the information that it receives from, and coordinates the activity of, all parts of the bodies of bilaterian animals—that is, all multicellular animals except sponges and radially symmetric animals such as jellyfish...
, as it is derived from an outpouching of the diencephalon
Diencephalon
The diencephalon is the region of the vertebrate neural tube which gives rise to posterior forebrain structures. In development, the forebrain develops from the prosencephalon, the most anterior vesicle of the neural tube which later forms both the diencephalon and the...
during embryonic development.
Unanswered Questions
