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Related Concept Videos

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex01:14

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.
Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex01:23

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at the...
Vision01:24

Vision

Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.
Visual System01:26

Visual System

Light enters the eye through the cornea, a transparent, dome-shaped surface covering the surface of the eyeball that helps to direct and focus incoming light. This light is then channeled toward the pupil, an adjustable opening whose size is controlled by the iris. The iris, a pigmented muscle, regulates the amount of light entering the eye by contracting or dilating the pupil, thereby ensuring optimal light levels for clear vision.
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...
Lobes of the Cerebrum01:22

Lobes of the Cerebrum

The cerebral cortex, a critical structure of the brain, is intricately divided into two hemispheres, each consisting of four distinct lobes: occipital, temporal, frontal, and parietal. These lobes function cooperatively to regulate various cognitive and sensory functions, forming the basis of our complex neural capabilities.
Frontal lobe
The frontal lobes, located behind the forehead, are the command center of our brain, controlling personality, intelligence, and voluntary muscle movements.
Association Areas of the Cortex01:21

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...

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Related Experiment Video

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Visualization of Cortical Modules in Flattened Mammalian Cortices
08:49

Visualization of Cortical Modules in Flattened Mammalian Cortices

Published on: January 22, 2018

How does the cerebral cortex work? Development, learning, attention, and 3-D vision by laminar circuits of visual

Stephen Grossberg1

  • 1Boston University, USA.

Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Reviews
|August 25, 2007
PubMed
Summary

This study explains how the visual cortex processes information using its layered structure. These brain mechanisms for development and learning in infancy predict adult visual perception and behavior.

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Published on: September 8, 2011

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Science
  • Visual Perception

Background:

  • Linking brain mechanisms to behavioral functions is a central goal in neuroscience.
  • The visual cortex, a key part of the neocortex, is organized into six distinct layers with sublamina.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explain how the visual cortex processes visual information.
  • To propose a model for how layered cortical circuits support various cognitive functions.

Main Methods:

  • The article proposes a theoretical framework based on existing neurophysiological and anatomical data.
  • It synthesizes findings from infant cortical development, adult neurophysiology, and visual perception.

Main Results:

  • Layered cortical circuits, through bottom-up, horizontal, and top-down interactions, facilitate development, learning, perceptual grouping, attention, and 3-D vision.
  • Mechanisms enabling stable development and learning in infancy correlate with adult behavioral properties.

Conclusions:

  • The proposed model unifies infant cortical development, adult neurophysiology, and adult visual perception.
  • These identified cortical mechanisms are potentially generalizable to other perceptual and cognitive processes.