Final answer:
The optic nerve fibers from the temporal and nasal retina travel into the optic tract through the optic chiasm. At the optic chiasm, the fibers from the nasal side of each retina cross over to the opposite side of the brain, while the fibers from the temporal side continue on the same side.
Step-by-step explanation:
The optic nerve fibers from the temporal and nasal retina travel into the optic tract through the optic chiasm. At the optic chiasm, the fibers from the nasal side of each retina cross over to the opposite side of the brain, while the fibers from the temporal side continue on the same side.
For example, the fibers from the nasal side of the left eye cross over to the right side of the brain, and the fibers from the temporal side of the left eye continue on the left side of the brain. Similarly, the fibers from the nasal side of the right eye cross over to the left side of the brain, and the fibers from the temporal side of the right eye continue on the right side of the brain.
After crossing at the optic chiasm, the fibers travel together as the optic tract and have different targets in the brain, such as the lateral geniculate nucleus in the thalamus and the superior colliculus in the midbrain.