visual cortex
Brain's image center
The visual cortex is the region of the brain that processes visual information, located at the back of the head in the occipital lobe.
Signals from the eyes travel through the optic nerve to the visual cortex, where they're interpreted as shapes, colors, motion, and depth.
Damage to this area can cause blindness even when the eyes function normally.
Light-sensing tissue layer
- optic nerveRetina-brain neural connection
- photoreceptorsCells sensing light
- rodsThin cylindrical shafts
- conesTapering geometric solids
fovea · blind spot · scotoma · hemianopia · thalamus · eye movements · gaze
- edge detectionFinding boundaries in images
- motion detectionIdentifying displacement automatically
- depth perceptionGauging object distance visually
- pattern recognitionIdentifying regularities in inputs
Blindness in half-field
- strokeSudden brain blood blockage
- lesionsAreas of damaged tissue
- traumatic brain injuryBrain damage from external force
- blindsightVisual processing sans awareness
Signal-transmitting brain cells
- synapsesNeuron-to-neuron transmission points
- neurotransmittersChemical neural messengers
- axonsNeuron output extensions
- dendritesNeuron's signal-receiving projections
fMRI · EEG · brain imaging · electrophysiology · neuroplasticity · critical period
Posterior brain vision area
- V2German wartime ballistic missile
- gyrusCerebral cortex ridge
- sulcusGroove in tissue
- grey matterNeuronal cell body tissue
Pictures formed in mind
- mind's eyeInternal visualization capacity
- dreamsInvoluntary sleep visions
- imaginationFaculty for forming ideas
- phosphenesLight perceived without light
retina
Light-sensing tissue layer
- optic nerveRetina-brain neural connection
- photoreceptorsCells sensing light
- rodsThin cylindrical shafts
cones · fovea · blind spot · scotoma · hemianopia · thalamus · eye movements · gaze
feature detection
- edge detectionFinding boundaries in images
- motion detectionIdentifying displacement automatically
- depth perceptionGauging object distance visually
pattern recognition · face recognition · binocular disparity · stereopsis
hemianopia
Blindness in half-field
- strokeSudden brain blood blockage
- lesionsAreas of damaged tissue
- traumatic brain injuryBrain damage from external force
neurons
Signal-transmitting brain cells
- synapsesNeuron-to-neuron transmission points
- neurotransmittersChemical neural messengers
- axonsNeuron output extensions
dendrites · fMRI · EEG · brain imaging · electrophysiology · neuroplasticity · critical period
occipital lobe
Posterior brain vision area
mental imagery
Pictures formed in mind
- mind's eyeInternal visualization capacity
- dreamsInvoluntary sleep visions
- imaginationFaculty for forming ideas
- visionsharp, eye, sight, eyes, blurry
- sensessight, smell, taste, hearing, touch
- brain anatomybrain, cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem, neurons
- brain sciencebrain scan, brain research, brain map, brain imaging, brain chemistry
- neuroanatomybrain, cerebellum, thalamus, hypothalamus, brainstem
- neuroscienceneuron, MRI, brain, neurons, synapses
visual cortexmotor cortex
Brain region controlling movement
prefrontal cortex · frontal lobe · cerebellum · basal ganglia
vision, visual, visionary, visor, visualize, visualization, cortex, visually, visionaries