Definition of optic nerve
: either of the second pair of cranial nerves that pass from the retina to the optic chiasma and conduct visual stimuli to the brain — see eye illustration
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Recent Examples of optic nerve from the Web
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Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system, which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves.
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At the hospital, doctors performed an emergency surgery to fully remove what was left of my eyes in an attempt to preserve my optic nerves and to prevent infection.
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Various universities are working on robotic eyes to give us Superman vision that will also stream Netflix directly and social media into our optic nerve.
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Cells in the retina send signals to the brain via the optic nerve.
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But occasionally, infections can occur in a region called the sphenoid sinus, located behind the eyes near the optic nerve.
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The fluid and pressure built up and crushed his optic nerves, leaving him blind.
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Some scientists think zero gravity increases the cerebrospinal fluid pressure in the skull, increasing pressure in the back of the eyeballs and the optic nerve, Zawieja said.
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After his first long-duration flight, which lasted 159 days, Kelly wrote that doctors found swelling of his optic nerve as well as choroidal folds, similar to stretch marks, on his eye.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'optic nerve.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of optic nerve
1615
Medical Dictionary
optic nerve
medical Definition of optic nerve
: either of the pair of sensory nerves that comprise the second pair of cranial nerves, arise from the ventral part of the diencephalon, form an optic chiasma before passing to the eye and spreading over the anterior surface of the retina, and conduct visual stimuli to the brain — called also
second cranial nerve
Illustration of optic nerve
Learn More about optic nerve
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See words that rhyme with optic nerve Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about optic nerve
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