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Vision

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.

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

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 Cortex

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...

Visual System

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...

Association Areas of the Cortex

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,...

Neural Circuits

Neural Circuits

Neural circuits and neuronal pools are two of the main structures found in the nervous system. Neural circuits are networks of neurons that work together to carry out a specific task or process. They consist of interconnected neurons and glial cells, which provide structural and metabolic support.
Neuronal pools are collections of nerve cells with similar functions and interact through chemical and electrical signals. These pools include both interneurons (the central neural circuit nodes that...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 23, 2026

How to Create and Use Binocular Rivalry

How to Create and Use Binocular Rivalry

Published on: November 10, 2010

A precise form of divisive suppression supports population coding in the primary visual cortex.

Sean P MacEvoy¹, Thomas R Tucker, David Fitzpatrick

¹Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA. macevoy@psych.upenn.edu

Nature Neuroscience

|April 28, 2009

Summary

Neural responses in the primary visual cortex (V1) to multiple orientations are governed by divisive suppression. This mechanism supports independent coding of stimulus orientation and strength, challenging previous models of cross-orientation suppression.

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Published on: December 12, 2012

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Visual Cortex Research
Computational Neuroscience

Background:

Neurons in the primary visual cortex (V1) exhibit cross-orientation suppression when multiple gratings are presented.
This suppression is believed to maintain a distributed neural code for orientation.
The impact of superimposed gratings on V1 population activity remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effect of superimposed gratings on V1 population responses.
To determine the underlying mechanisms of cross-orientation suppression in V1 population activity.
To assess whether V1 population responses support independent coding of stimulus orientation and strength.

Main Methods:

Intrinsic signal optical imaging in tree shrew V1.
Single-unit extracellular recordings.
Intracellular recordings to analyze subthreshold responses.

Main Results:

V1 activity patterns evoked by superimposed gratings were predicted by the average of patterns from individual gratings.
This predictive relationship held across various contrasts and grating types (sinusoidal and square-wave).
Divisive suppression was consistently observed throughout the subthreshold response time course.

Conclusions:

Divisive suppression significantly shapes V1 population responses to stimuli with multiple orientations.
The observed suppression pattern suggests independent population codes for stimulus orientation and strength.
These findings necessitate a re-evaluation of the mechanisms driving cross-orientation suppression.