Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web

optic disk

 - 5 dictionary results
blind spot  
n.  
  1. Anatomy The small, circular, optically insensitive region in the retina where fibers of the optic nerve emerge from the eyeball. It has no rods or cones. Also called optic disk.

  2. A part of an area that cannot be directly observed under existing circumstances.

  3. An area where radio reception is weak or nonexistent.

  4. A subject about which one is markedly ignorant or prejudiced: "Of course, all of us . . . have our crotchets and our blind spots. I abhor novels written in the present tense" (Mordecai Richler).

optic disk  
n.   Anatomy
See blind spot.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: optic disk
Function: noun
: BLIND SPOT
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

optic disk n.
The small, circular, optically insensitive region in the retina containing no rods or cones, where fibers of the optic nerve emerge from the eyeball. Also called blind spot, optic papilla.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia

optic disk

small portion of the visual field of each eye that corresponds to the position of the optic disk (also known as the optic nerve head) within the retina. There are no photoreceptors (i.e., rods or cones) in the optic disk, and, therefore, there is no image detection in this area. The blind spot of the right eye is located to the right of the centre of vision and vice versa in the left eye. With both eyes open, the blind spots are not perceived because the visual fields of the two eyes overlap. Indeed, even with one eye closed, the blind spot can be difficult to detect subjectively because of the ability of the brain to "fill in" or ignore the missing portion of the image

Learn more about optic disk with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see optic disk on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us: