Visual_Cortx

Optic Nerve- The optic nerve’s primary function is to carry visual information from the retina to the brain. Once a person views an object it is changed from a picture into electrical impulses and is moved to the optic nerve. The optic nerve responds to the electrical impulses that are sent by the cells within the retina. Optic Chiasm- The optic chiasm is the X shaped that is formed by the crossing of the optic nerves. Fibers from half of each of the retinas cross at the point to the opposite side of the brain. And the other portion of the nerves goes to the same side of the brain. The optic chiasm both sides of the brain gets signals from both eyes. Optic Tract-The optic tract is a continuation of the optic nerve. This is the location where the information from each eye crosses and forms a full view of the object being looked at. There are two optic tracts one that runs from each eye. The right optic tract carries information from the left eyes temporal retinal fiber and the nasal retinal fibers of the left eye, and the reverse tract for the left eye. Lateral Geniculate Nuclei- The lateral geniculate nuclei (LGN) is found in the thalamus of the brain. The LGN is the area of the visual cortex that gathers information from the optic tract from the retina; it also receives information from the superior colliculi. Although the LGN’s function is unknown, it is believed that the LGN helps the visual cortex focus on important information of in the field. An example of this is the signals that the visual system gets from the auditory systems may travel through the LGN. Superior Colliculi- The superior colliculi receives information from the retina and the visual cortex. The primary function of the superior colliculi is to assist the head and the eyes to focus on all types of visual stimulation. What is an example of a visual deficit associated with brain damage, disorder, or disease affecting the visual pathway' Provide a description of where the damage may occur and what functional visual deficits may arise. One disorder that can have an effect on the visual pathways is glaucoma. Glaucoma has many causes such as ethnicity, dietary, genetics, and the leading cause which is ocular hypertension. Glaucoma is a disorder which causes permanent damage to the optic nerve and causes vision loss and eventual blindness if the condition is left untreated. The damage that is done to the optic nerve involves a loss to the retinal ganglion cells. Which of the five senses do you value most' Describe which sense you would least like to lose and why. The sense that I value most and would not want to lose is the sense of touch. The reason that I picked touch is because I have seen firsthand that people who have lost their sight and hearing are able to function and live very happy and fulfilling lives. The senses of taste and smell while are important for many reasons does not seem as important to me as the sense of touch. When considering this question I had to give a lot of thought to which sense I seem to use the most and decided that because I am a hand on person and like to explore my environment with my hands, that this would be the sense I miss the most. The sense of touch is used in aiding those that have lost other senses. Examples of this can be seen with a blind person examining a face with their hands, of a deaf person using their hands to feel vibrations of music coming from speakers. Pinel, J. P. J. (2009). Biopsychology (7th ed.). Retrieved November 21, 2011 from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/DownloadList.aspx'assetMetaId=59a6f560-abd6-46c4-9d65-6fe8cc724f26&assetDataId=42648c4c-5340-4262-b813-b67c6dad44f1 Bedinghaus, T. (2010). Optic Chiasm. Retrieved November 22, 2011 from http://vision.about.com/od/eyeanatomy/g/Optic_Chiasm.htm Optic Tract. (2005). Retrieved November 22, 2011 from http://www.healthline.com/human-body-maps/optic-tract#3/14