Which statement describes the optic disc?

Which statement describes the optic disc?

• A. It is located at the center of the fovea
• B. It contains many rods
• C. It is the region where the ganglion cell axons exit to form the optic nerve and lies about 15 degrees from the fovea
• D. It is devoid of neural tissue

Answer: (C)

The optic disc is the region where retinal ganglion cell axons exit the retina to form the optic nerve. It sits about 15 degrees away from the fovea, which is why the blind spot is located away from the foveal center. While it lacks photoreceptors (rods and cones), it is not devoid of neural tissue—axons (and supporting glia) pass through here as they converge to form the optic nerve. That combination—exit point for the ganglion cell axons and a location roughly 15 degrees from the fovea—is what the statement describes.

The optic disc is the region where retinal ganglion cell axons exit the retina to form the optic nerve. It sits about 15 degrees away from the fovea, which is why the blind spot is located away from the foveal center. While it lacks photoreceptors (rods and cones), it is not devoid of neural tissue—axons (and supporting glia) pass through here as they converge to form the optic nerve. That combination—exit point for the ganglion cell axons and a location roughly 15 degrees from the fovea—is what the statement describes.