Axons (Optic Nerve Fibers)

Last updated: Jul 18th, 2025

Axons of optic nerve fibers are slender, relatively long, cylindrical processes of the ganglion cells of the retina. Each has a nearly smooth surface and uniform diameter. This cable is a one-way pipe from one nerve cell to the axon terminal. Each nerve cell has a single axon, but the axon may have several branches (collaterals). The axon terminal is a point where the electrical charge sent from one nerve cell to another is changed into a chemical signal to be sent away from the region of the cell body.