Optic

Question 1

What base of skull foramina does the optic nerve pass through? Within which cranial fossa is this found?

Answer 1

The optic canal / middle

Question 2

What type of information is carried in the optic nerve?

Answer 2

Special sensory

Question 3

What is the function of the optic nerve?

Answer 3

Vision

Question 4

Describe the extracranial pathway of the optic nerve?

Answer 4

Sensory receptors (rods and cones) in the retina transmit visual information posteriorly via the optic nerve to the cortex

Question 5

Describe the intracranial pathway of the optic nerve once it has passed through the optic canal?

Answer 5

Travels around the pituitary stalk to the optic chiasm to form the optic tract

Question 6

Although the optic nerve is a cranial nerve, it is actually part of the CNS for what two reasons?

Answer 6

The axons are myelinated by oligodendrocytes and it is wrapped in meninges

Question 7

What are the 5 ways of testing the optic nerve?

Answer 7

Visual acuity, colour vision, visual fields, pupillary light reflexes and fundoscopy