Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

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.

Diencephalon: Thalamus and Information Relay

Diencephalon: Thalamus and Information Relay

The thalamus, often called “the gateway to the cerebral cortex,” is vital in processing and directing sensory and motor signals throughout the brain. Almost all inputs destined for the cerebral cortex, except for olfactory signals, are relayed through the thalamus. The thalamus is a sophisticated relay station, channeling information from various brain regions to the cerebral cortex, as well as a filter, prioritizing certain signals over others based on current physiological states or needs.

Auditory Pathway

Auditory Pathway

Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...

The Retina

The Retina

The retina is a layer of nervous tissue at the back of the eye that transduces light into neural signals. This process, called phototransduction, is carried out by rod and cone photoreceptor cells in the back of the retina.

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.

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

A disinhibitory basal forebrain-to-cortex projection supports sustained attention.

Cell·2026

Same author

Protocol for mapping neural circuit connectivity with START: Single transcriptome assisted rabies tracing.

STAR protocols·2026

Same author

Restoration of Higher-Order Cortical Processing in Rat V2 by Retinal Sheet Transplants in Degenerated Rats.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Gut microbiota modulates aversive learning and memory of honeybees (Apis mellifera).

Nature communications·2025

Same author

Genome-Wide Translatome Analysis Following Low-Dose Ketamine to Reveal Novel Targets for Antidepressant Treatment.

Synapse (New York, N.Y.)·2025

Same author

Asymmetric cortical projections to striatal direct and indirect pathways distinctly control actions.

eLife·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Published on: August 1, 2018

A disynaptic relay from superior colliculus to dorsal stream visual cortex in macaque monkey.

David C Lyon¹, Jonathan J Nassi, Edward M Callaway

¹Systems Neurobiology Laboratories, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.

|February 16, 2010

Summary

The superior colliculus (SC) directly projects to dorsal visual stream areas MT and V3, bypassing earlier visual cortex. This pathway may explain blindsight vision by relaying visual information through the pulvinar.

More Related Videos

Calcium Imaging in Mouse Superior Colliculus

Calcium Imaging in Mouse Superior Colliculus

Published on: April 21, 2023

Electrophysiological Investigations of Retinogeniculate and Corticogeniculate Synapse Function

Electrophysiological Investigations of Retinogeniculate and Corticogeniculate Synapse Function

Published on: August 7, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Published on: August 1, 2018

Calcium Imaging in Mouse Superior Colliculus

Calcium Imaging in Mouse Superior Colliculus

Published on: April 21, 2023

Electrophysiological Investigations of Retinogeniculate and Corticogeniculate Synapse Function

Electrophysiological Investigations of Retinogeniculate and Corticogeniculate Synapse Function

Published on: August 7, 2019

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Visual Neuroscience

Background:

The superior colliculus (SC) is a key subcortical relay for visual information.
The exact pathways and synaptic connections from the SC to extrastriate visual cortex remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate the direct projections from the SC to extrastriate visual areas.
To determine the synaptic requirements for SC to cortex visual information relay.

Main Methods:

Utilized a transynaptic rabies virus injection strategy into distinct extrastriate visual areas (MT, V3, V2, V4).
Analyzed retrogradely labeled cells in the SC to map projection patterns.

Main Results:

Disynaptic labeling was observed in superficial SC layers following injections into dorsal stream areas MT and V3.
No significant SC labeling was found for injections into V2 or ventral stream area V4.
The SC to dorsal stream pathway likely involves the inferior pulvinar.

Conclusions:

A direct SC to dorsal visual stream pathway (MT, V3) exists, potentially mediated by the inferior pulvinar.
This pathway may provide magnocellular-like inputs crucial for motion perception and orienting.
This SC-dorsal stream circuit could underlie blindsight phenomena by bypassing primary visual cortex.