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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....

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.

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,...

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 20, 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

Retinotopic information interacts with category selectivity in human ventral cortex.

Fatma Uyar¹, Sarah Shomstein¹, Adam S Greenberg²

¹Department of Psychology, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, United States.

Neuropsychologia

|June 1, 2016

Summary

The ventral visual cortex is not strictly divided by spatial position or category. Both early and later visual areas show mixed sensitivity, suggesting a more integrated system.

Keywords:

Category selectivity Face processing Functional connectivity Retinotopy Scene processing fMRI

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High-resolution Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Methods for Human Midbrain

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Visual Perception
Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

Traditionally, ventral visual cortex organization was thought to separate spatial position sensitivity in early regions from category sensitivity in higher-order regions.
Recent evidence suggests a more interactive and graded system due to bidirectional connectivity in the visual system.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the functional organization of the ventral visual cortex.
To determine if category information is present in retinotopic areas and spatial information in higher-order areas.
To explore the functional connectivity between early and later visual processing regions.

Main Methods:

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in adult observers.
Localization of meridians and category-selective regions within the visual cortex.
Sampling of activation in these localized regions.

Main Results:

Category effects were found in early, retinotopic visual cortical areas.
Spatial position effects were observed in later, higher-order visual regions.
Functional connectivity was identified between retinotopic and later visual areas.

Conclusions:

The findings support an interactive and graded model of ventral visual cortex organization.
Category and spatial information are intermixed across both early and later visual processing stages.
Functional connectivity may explain the integration of disparate visual processing effects.