Optic chiasm

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For other meanings of "chiasm", see Chiasm.
Optic chiasma
1543,Visalius'OpticChiasma.jpg
Brain viewed from below; the front of the brain is above. Visual pathway with optic
chiasm (X shape) is shown in red (1543 image from Andreas Vesalius' Fabrica)
Gray773.png
Optic nerves, chiasm, and optic tracts
Details
Part of Visual system
Identifiers
Latin chiasma opticum
MeSH A08.800.800.120.680.600
NeuroLex ID Optic chiasm
TA A14.1.08.403
FMA 62045
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy
[edit on Wikidata]
The optic chiasm or optic chiasma ( /?pt?k ka?z?m/; Greek ??asa, "crossing", from
the Greek ????? 'to mark with an X', after the Greek letter '?', chi) is the part
of the brain where the optic nerves partially cross. The optic chiasm is located at
the bottom of the brain immediately below the hypothalamus.[1] The optic chiasm is
found in all vertebrates, although in cyclostomes (lampreys and hagfishes) it is
located within the brain.[2][3]

Contents
1 Structure
2 Other animals
3 Additional images
4 History
5 See also
6 References
7 External links
Structure[edit]
The optic nerve fibres on the nasal sides of each retina cross over (decussate) to
the opposite side of the brain via the optic nerve at the optic chiasm (decussation
of medial fibers). The temporal hemiretina, on the other hand, stays on the same
side. The inferonasal retina are related to anterior portion of the optic chiasm
whereas superonasal retinal fibers are related to the posterior portion of the
optic chiasm.

The crossing over of optic nerve fibres at the optic chiasm allows the visual
cortex to receive the same hemispheric visual field from both eyes. Superimposing
and processing these monocular visual signals allow the visual cortex to generate
binocular and stereoscopic vision. For example, the right visual cortex receives
the temporal visual field from the left eye, and the nasal visual field from the
right eye, which results in the right visual cortex producing a binocular image of
the left hemispheric visual field. The net result of optic nerve crossing over at
the optic chiasm is for the right cerebral hemisphere to sense and process left
hemispheric vision, and for the left cerebral hemisphere to sense and process right
hemispheric vision.[4]

This crossing is an adaptive feature of frontally oriented eyes, found mostly in

predatory animals requiring precise visual depth perception. (Prey animals, with
laterally positioned eyes, have little binocular vision, so there is a more
complete crossover of visual signals[citation needed].) Beyond the optic chiasm,
with crossed and uncrossed fibers, the optic nerves become optic tracts. The
signals are passed on to the lateral geniculate body, in turn giving them to the
occipital cortex (the outer matter of the rear brain).[5]

Other animals[edit]
In Siamese cats with certain genotypes of the albino gene, this wiring is
disrupted, with more of the nerve-crossing than is normal, as a number of scholars
have reported.[6] To compensate for lack of crossing in their brains, they cross
their eyes (strabismus).[7]

This is also seen in albino tigers, as Guillery & Kaas report.[8]

Additional images[edit]

Scheme showing central connections of the optic nerves and optic tracts.

Base of brain.

3D schematic representation of optic tracts

Transformations of the visual field toward the visual map on the primary visual
cortex.

Human brainstem anterior view

Optic chiasm

Optic chiasma

Cerebrum.Inferior view.Deep dissection.

Cerebrum.Inferior view. Deep dissection.

History[edit]
The crossing of nerve fibres, and the impact on vision that this had, was probably
first identified by Persian physician "Esmail Jorjani", who appears to be Zayn al-
Din Gorgani (10421137).[9]

See also[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Optic chiasm.
Chiasmal syndrome
References[edit]
^ Colman, Andrew M. (2006). Oxford Dictionary of Psychology (2nd ed.). Oxford
University Press. p. 530. ISBN 0-19-861035-1.
^ Bainbridge, David (30 June 2009). Beyond the Zonules of Zinn: A Fantastic Journey
Through Your Brain. Harvard University Press. p. 162. ISBN 978-0-674-02042-9.
Retrieved 22 November 2015.
^ de Lussanet, Marc H.E.; Osse, Jan W.M. (2012). "An ancestral axial twist explains
the contralateral forebrain and the optic chiasm in vertebrates". Animal Biology.
62 (2): 193216. arXiv:1003.1872?Freely accessible. doi:10.1163/157075611X617102.
ISSN 1570-7555.
^ Purves, Dale; Augustine, George; Fitzpatrick, David; Hall, William; LaMantia,
Anthony-Samuel; White, Leonard (2012). Neuroscience. Sinauer Associates. p. 261.
ISBN 978-0-87893-695-3.
^ "eye, human." Encyclopdia Britannica from Encyclopdia Britannica 2006 Ultimate
Reference Suite DVD 2009
^ Schmolesky MT, Wang Y, Creel DJ, Leventhal AG. "Abnormal retinotopic organization
of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the tyrosinase-negative albino cat". J
Comp Neurol. 427 (2): 20919. doi:10.1002/1096-9861(20001113)427:2<209::aid-
cne4>3.0.co;2-3. PMID 11054689.
^ Guillery, RW; Kaas, JH (June 1973). "Genetic abnormality of the visual pathways
in a "white" tiger". Science. 180 (4092): 12879. Bibcode:1973Sci...180.1287G.
doi:10.1126/science.180.4092.1287. PMID 4707916.
^ Guillery RW (May 1974). "Visual pathways in albinos". Sci. Am. 230 (5): 4454.
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0574-44. PMID 4822986.
^ Davis, Matthew C.; Griessenauer, Christoph J.; Bosmia, Anand N.; Tubbs, R. Shane;
Shoja, Mohammadali M. (2014-01-01). "The naming of the cranial nerves: A historical
review". Clinical Anatomy. 27 (1): 1419. doi:10.1002/ca.22345. ISSN 1098-2353.
Jeffery G (October 2001). "Architecture of the optic chiasm and the mechanisms that
sculpt its development". Physiol. Rev. 81 (4): 1393414. PMID 11581492.
External links[edit]
"Anatomy diagram: 13048.000-1". Roche Lexicon - illustrated navigator. Elsevier.
Archived from the original on 2014-01-01.
v t e
The cranial nerves
terminal
Nuclei Septal nuclei Course no significant branches
olfactory
Nuclei Anterior olfactory nucleus Course olfactory bulb olfactory tract
optic
Nuclei Lateral geniculate nucleus Course optic chiasm optic tract
oculomotor
Nuclei Oculomotor nucleus EdingerWestphal nucleus Branches superior
parasympathetic root of ciliary ganglion/ciliary ganglion inferior
trochlear
Nucleus Branches no significant branches
trigeminal
Nuclei PSN Spinal trigeminal nucleus MN TMN Course trigeminal ganglion Branches
ophthalmic maxillary mandibular
abducens
Nucleus Branches no significant branches
facial
near origin
intermediate nerve geniculate
inside
facial canal
greater petrosal pterygopalatine ganglion nerve to the stapedius chorda tympani
lingual nerve submandibular ganglion
at stylomastoid
foramen
posterior auricular suprahyoid digastric stylohyoid parotid plexus temporal
zygomatic buccal mandibular cervical
Nuclei
Facial motor nucleus Solitary nucleus Superior salivary nucleus
vestibulocochlear
Nuclei Vestibular nuclei Cochlear nuclei cochlear nerve striae medullares lateral
lemniscus vestibular Scarpa's ganglion
glossopharyngeal
before jugular fossa
ganglia superior inferior
after jugular fossa
tympanic tympanic plexus lesser petrosal otic ganglion stylopharyngeal branch
pharyngeal branches tonsillar branches lingual branches carotid sinus
Nuclei
Nucleus ambiguus Inferior salivatory nucleus Solitary nucleus
vagus
before jugular fossa
ganglia superior inferior
after jugular fossa
meningeal branch auricular branch
neck
pharyngeal branch pharyngeal plexus superior laryngeal external internal recurrent
laryngeal (inferior) superior cervical cardiac
thorax
inferior cardiac pulmonary vagal trunks anterior posterior
abdomen
celiac renal hepatic anterior gastric posterior gastric
Nuclei
Nucleus ambiguus Dorsal nucleus of vagus nerve Solitary nucleus
accessory
Nuclei Nucleus ambiguus Spinal accessory nucleus cranial spinal
hypoglossal
Nucleus Branches lingual
Categories: CerebrumVisual systemOptic nerve
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This page was last edited on 12 December 2017, at 21:54.
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