[Verse 1] From the retina's ganglion cells, a million axons take their flight Through the optic tract they journey, splitting left and right Not one destination waiting, but five pathways to explore Each with its own sacred mission, each unlocking different doors [Chorus] LGN gets ninety percent, the thalamic relay station Superior colliculus moves your eyes with rapid orchestration Pretectum shrinks your pupils when the brightness starts to grow Suprachiasmatic keeps time, while accessory systems flow The eye speaks many languages, to places high and low [Verse 2] The lateral geniculate nucleus, that's where most fibers land Ninety percent march onward to the cortex so grand Building conscious visual pictures in areas V1 and more But that's just the largest pipeline, not the only neural door [Chorus] LGN gets ninety percent, the thalamic relay station Superior colliculus moves your eyes with rapid orchestration Pretectum shrinks your pupils when the brightness starts to grow Suprachiasmatic keeps time, while accessory systems flow The eye speaks many languages, to places high and low [Verse 3] Superior colliculus in midbrain territory dwells Directing eye movements swiftly when danger story tells Threat response and orienting, saccades both fast and clean While pretectal nuclei manage the pupillary scene [Bridge] Suprachiasmatic nucleus reads the rhythm of the day Intrinsically photosensitive cells light up the circadian way Accessory optic pathways with pulvinar's helping hand Keep your gaze rock steady as you survey the land [Verse 4] Parallel processing channels running simultaneously Not serial computation, but concurrent symphony Blindsight shows us clearly when cortical paths are broke Other routes keep functioning, though consciousness is cloaked [Verse 5] From chiasm's crossroads emerging, information flows divergent Each target serves a purpose both ancient and emergent Evolution built these highways through millions of years Five streams of visual data, each pathway crystal clear [Final Chorus] LGN gets ninety percent, the thalamic relay station Superior colliculus moves your eyes with rapid orchestration Pretectum shrinks your pupils when the brightness starts to grow Suprachiasmatic keeps time, while accessory systems flow Five destinations total, that's how visual pathways go [Outro Chorus] LGN gets ninety percent, the thalamic relay station Superior colliculus moves your eyes with rapid orchestration Pretectum shrinks your pupils when the brightness starts to grow Suprachiasmatic keeps time, while accessory systems flow The eye speaks many languages, to places high and low
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