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What are optic radiations and where do they carry visual information?
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thalamus
Sagittal section of the human brain, showing structures of the cerebellum, brainstem, and cerebral ventricles.
Optic radiations are white matter fibre tracts that originate from the lateral geniculate nuclei of the thalamus. They serve as the primary pathway for relaying visual information, including data regarding colour and spatial location within the visual field, from the thalamus to the visual cortex.
These fibres course toward the visual cortex located in the occipital lobes at the back of the brain. Because these structures are topographically organized to correspond to specific areas of the visual field, they are essential for processing the visual input received from the optic nerves.