How is the orientation of fibers in the optic tract characterized?

The correct choice highlights an important aspect of the anatomy of the optic tract and how the fibers are oriented. In the optic tract, the orientation of the fibers is such that the inferior fibers, which carry visual information from the superior parts of the visual field, are positioned laterally. This spatial arrangement is crucial because it corresponds to how visual inputs from different parts of the retina are processed in the brain.

Understanding this arrangement is essential for comprehending how visual information is relayed through the visual pathway. The fibers from the retina known as the nasal fibers cross at the optic chiasm, while the temporal fibers do not. As a result, the orientation of these fibers in the optic tract reflects this anatomical organization, with inferior fibers located laterally and superior fibers positioned more medially, ensuring that the respective visual fields are maintained accurately as information travels toward the lateral geniculate nucleus and then on to the visual cortex.