What is the optic disc?

What is the optic disc?

• A. The area in the retina with no photoreceptors where the optic nerve exits.
• B. The central region of highest visual acuity.
• C. The location of the fovea.
• D. The opening of the pupil.

Answer: (D)

The optic disc is the spot on the retina where the retinal ganglion cell axons bundle together to form the optic nerve and exit the eye. There are no photoreceptors here, so this region creates the natural blind spot in each retina. This is different from the pupil, which is an opening in the iris that controls light entry, and from the fovea, the tiny central area of the macula responsible for the sharpest vision. So the optic disc is defined by the exit point of the optic nerve, not by light passage or high-acuity central vision.

The optic disc is the spot on the retina where the retinal ganglion cell axons bundle together to form the optic nerve and exit the eye. There are no photoreceptors here, so this region creates the natural blind spot in each retina. This is different from the pupil, which is an opening in the iris that controls light entry, and from the fovea, the tiny central area of the macula responsible for the sharpest vision. So the optic disc is defined by the exit point of the optic nerve, not by light passage or high-acuity central vision.