A healthy optic nerve head curves slightly inward. The optic nerve transmits our sensory impressions from the eye to the brain. Vessels run through its center to supply the retina. The optic nerve head, called the papilla, refers to the place where the optic nerve emerges from the eye. This place is filled with nerve fibers, vessels and supporting cells and is examined, especially for glaucoma diagnosis, with an ophthalmoscope or a magnifying glass.