Neuroanatomy, Optic Chiasm

The visual pathway consists of all the anatomical elements essential in processing visual information. The pathway begins at the retina, which takes gross visual impulses to the brain through the optic nerve (cranial nerve II), to the optic chiasm, optic tract, lateral geniculate bodies, and finally, the visual cortex of the brain for interpretation. The optic chiasm represents a fundamental and evolutionary aspect of the visual pathway – an adaptation to assist humans with binocular vision and stereopsis, otherwise known as depth perception.