optic nerve n.
A nerve that originates from the retina, passes out of the eye socket to the chiasm, where part of its fibers cross to the opposite side and pass to the geniculate bodies and anterior quadrigeminal body. Also called second cranial nerve.
optic nerve Either of the second pair of cranial nerves, which carry sensory information relating to vision from the retina of the eye to the brain. Disease or injury of the optic nerve can result in partial or total blindness. |
second cranial nerve, which carries sensory nerve impulses from the more than one million ganglion cells of the retina toward the visual centres in the brain. The vast majority of optic nerve fibres convey information regarding central vision