Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

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...
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.
Parallel Processing01:20

Parallel Processing

The brain processes sensory information rapidly due to parallel processing, which involves sending data across multiple neural pathways at the same time. This method allows the brain to manage various sensory qualities, such as shapes, colors, movements, and locations, all concurrently. For instance, when observing a forest landscape, the brain simultaneously processes the movement of leaves, the shapes of trees, the depth between them, and the various shades of green. This enables a quick and...
Visual Agnosia01:12

Visual Agnosia

Visual agnosia is a condition characterized by the inability to recognize visually presented objects despite having normal vision. For instance, a person with visual agnosia can describe the shape and color of an object but cannot identify or name it. This impairment does not affect their visual field, acuity, color vision, brightness discrimination, language, or memory. An example of this condition in a social setting is someone at a dinner party asking for "that silver thing with a round end"...
Depth Perception and Spatial Vision01:15

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.
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.

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Assessing circuit function in the developing <i>Xenopus</i> tadpole: a survey of the behavioral toolkit and underlying neural substrates.

Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience·2026
Same author

Protocol for blastomere injection to generate bilateral hemimosaic Xenopus tadpoles.

STAR protocols·2026
Same author

Norepinephrine acts through radial astrocytes in the developing optic tectum to enhance threat detection and escape behavior.

Cell reports·2026
Same author

Parallel Morphological and Functional Development in the Xenopus Retinotectal System.

Developmental neurobiology·2025
Same author

Acetylcholine synergizes with netrin-1 to drive persistent firing in the entorhinal cortex.

Cell reports·2024
Same author

Characterization of Na<sup>+</sup> currents regulating intrinsic excitability of optic tectal neurons.

Life science alliance·2023
Same journal

Building neuroscience capacity in low- and middle-income countries: Lessons from Ghana.

Trends in neurosciences·2026
Same journal

Emulating the periodic table: A unified list of CNS terms and abbreviations for humans and experimental animals.

Trends in neurosciences·2026
Same journal

From chromatin dynamics to brain disease: Polycomb-Trithorax mechanisms in neurodevelopment.

Trends in neurosciences·2026
Same journal

Striatum regulates the cortex via the basal forebrain cholinergic system: A role for substance P.

Trends in neurosciences·2026
Same journal

A large brain adds new types of neurons: Molecular and functional signatures of spindle neurons in the human neocortex.

Trends in neurosciences·2026
Same journal

Exercise as a regulator of glymphatic function.

Trends in neurosciences·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 16, 2026

A Method to Quantify Visual Information Processing in Children Using Eye Tracking
09:47

A Method to Quantify Visual Information Processing in Children Using Eye Tracking

Published on: July 9, 2016

Learning to see: patterned visual activity and the development of visual function.

Edward S Ruthazer1, Carlos D Aizenman

  • 1Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada. edward.ruthazer@mcgill.ca

Trends in Neurosciences
|February 16, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Sensory experiences shape developing brains, enabling organisms to adapt neural circuits for environmental interaction. This plasticity refines motor outputs and visual system function from gene expression to network activity.

More Related Videos

A Gaze-Contingent Display Framework for Perceptual Learning Research with Simulated Central Vision Loss
07:12

A Gaze-Contingent Display Framework for Perceptual Learning Research with Simulated Central Vision Loss

Published on: April 11, 2025

Using Looming Visual Stimuli to Evaluate Mouse Vision
05:07

Using Looming Visual Stimuli to Evaluate Mouse Vision

Published on: June 13, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 16, 2026

A Method to Quantify Visual Information Processing in Children Using Eye Tracking
09:47

A Method to Quantify Visual Information Processing in Children Using Eye Tracking

Published on: July 9, 2016

A Gaze-Contingent Display Framework for Perceptual Learning Research with Simulated Central Vision Loss
07:12

A Gaze-Contingent Display Framework for Perceptual Learning Research with Simulated Central Vision Loss

Published on: April 11, 2025

Using Looming Visual Stimuli to Evaluate Mouse Vision
05:07

Using Looming Visual Stimuli to Evaluate Mouse Vision

Published on: June 13, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Sensory Processing

Background:

  • Developing organisms require precise sensory processing and motor control for environmental interaction.
  • Patterned sensory experience is known to induce developmental plasticity, shaping neural circuits.
  • This plasticity allows dynamic adaptation of neural function to changing sensory input and brain circuitry.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how visual experience dynamically influences neural circuit function in developing organisms.
  • To understand the multi-level effects of sensory experience on neural adaptation.
  • To explore the mechanisms underlying system-wide functional adaptations in response to visual input.

Main Methods:

  • Studied the visual systems of frogs and fish.
  • Examined the impact of patterned sensory experience on neural circuits.
  • Analyzed changes at various levels, including gene expression and network function.

Main Results:

  • Visual experience dynamically affects neural circuit function at multiple levels.
  • Adaptations were observed from gene expression to overall network function.
  • System-wide functional adaptations were induced by visual input.

Conclusions:

  • Developing organisms utilize plasticity to adapt neural circuits based on sensory experience.
  • Visual experience plays a critical role in shaping functional adaptations in the visual system.
  • Dynamic adaptation of neural circuits is essential for effective environmental interaction.