Final answer:
The second-order neuron in the auditory pathway traverses from the cochlear nuclei, through the lateral lemnisci to the inferior colliculus(option b), and finally to the medial geniculate body before projecting information to the primary auditory cortex.
Step-by-step explanation:
The second-order neuron in the auditory pathway is best described as ascending from the cochlear nuclei through brain stem structures to the inferior colliculus, and onto the medial geniculate body in the thalamus before reaching the primary auditory cortex. This ascending neuron processes critical information for sound localization and carries the sensory auditory signals up to higher brain centers.
Specifically, these neurons project from the cochlear nuclei on both sides via the lateral lemnisci to the inferior colliculus and then to the medial geniculate nucleus of the thalamus. From the medial geniculate body, the information is then relayed to the primary auditory cortex located in the temporal lobe. It is essential to understand that while information initially received at the cochlea represents the frequency of the stimuli, the sophisticated neural network including the second-order neurons allows for the complex processing such as determining the location of sounds.