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Related Concept Videos

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....

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.

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...

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: Nov 7, 2025

Multi-layer Cortical Ca2+ Imaging in Freely Moving Mice with Prism Probes and Miniaturized Fluorescence Microscopy

Multi-layer Cortical Ca2+ Imaging in Freely Moving Mice with Prism Probes and Miniaturized Fluorescence Microscopy

Published on: June 13, 2017

How Cortical Circuits Implement Cortical Computations: Mouse Visual Cortex as a Model.

Cristopher M Niell¹, Massimo Scanziani²

¹Department of Biology and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403, USA;

Annual Review of Neuroscience

|April 29, 2021

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Mice are crucial model organisms for studying the mammalian cerebral cortex. Research using mouse primary visual cortex reveals how neural circuits perform computations and broadens understanding of visual cortex functions.

Keywords:

behavioral state contextual modulation direction selectivity orientation selectivity perception receptive field

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Published on: June 13, 2017

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Computational Modeling of Retinal Neurons for Visual Prosthesis Research - Fundamental Approaches

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Published on: June 21, 2022

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Mammalian Cerebral Cortex Research
Computational Neuroscience

Background:

Mice provide unparalleled experimental access to the mammalian cerebral cortex.
Understanding cortical function requires knowledge of cellular composition and component interactions.
The mouse primary visual cortex is a key area for studying neural computations.

Purpose of the Study:

To review recent advances in understanding neural circuits in the mouse primary visual cortex.
To discuss how mouse studies have expanded knowledge of visual cortex computations.
To outline future approaches for elucidating fundamental cortical operations using mice.

Main Methods:

Analyzing cellular composition of the cortex.
Investigating interactions between cortical components.
Systematically perturbing cortical components to gain mechanistic insights.

Main Results:

Recent studies reveal how cortical neuron circuits implement computations.
Mouse models have broadened the understanding of visual cortex computational capabilities.
Mechanistic insights into basic cortical functions are being gained.

Conclusions:

The mouse is an invaluable model organism for neuroscience research.
Continued study of the mouse cortex promises deeper understanding of fundamental brain operations.
Future research will further leverage mouse models to explore cortical functions.