Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
The optic chiasm is an X-shaped structure located in the brain where the two optic nerves cross over each other. It allows visual information from each eye to be processed by both hemispheres of the brain.
Related terms
Visual cortex: The part of the cerebral cortex responsible for processing visual information received from the eyes.
Optic nerve: A pair of nerves transmitting visual signals from the retina to the brain.
Hemispheric lateralization: The tendency for some neural functions or cognitive processes to be more dominant in one hemisphere than the other