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

Vision01:24

Vision

57.5K
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.
57.5K
Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex01:14

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

5.4K
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....
5.4K
Visual System01:26

Visual System

1.2K
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...
1.2K
Color Vision01:24

Color Vision

1.0K
Color perception begins in the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. Two main theories explain how colors are seen: the trichromatic theory and the opponent-process theory. The trichromatic theory, proposed by Thomas Young in 1802 and extended by Hermann von Helmholtz in 1852, suggests that color vision is based on three types of cone receptors in the retina. These cones are sensitive to different but overlapping ranges of wavelengths corresponding to red, blue, and green.
1.0K
Anatomy of the Eyeball01:20

Anatomy of the Eyeball

8.1K
The eye is a spherical, hollow structure composed of three tissue layers. The outer layer — the fibrous tunic, comprises the sclera — a white structure — and the cornea, which is transparent. The sclera encompasses some of the ocular surface, most of which is not visible. However, the 'white of the eye' is distinctively visible in humans compared to other species. The cornea, a clear covering at the front of the eye, enables light penetration. The eye's middle...
8.1K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Author Correction: Cerebellar aging is spatially heterogeneous and supports cognitive resilience in later life.

Nature neuroscience·2026
Same author

Deafness and Sign Language Experience Shift Visual Category Representations.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Cortical and white matter myelination proceed in concert during early infancy.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Cerebellar aging is spatially heterogeneous and supports cognitive resilience in later life.

Nature neuroscience·2026
Same author

Multiphasic myelination and dendritic growth modulate qMRI signals in human visual cortex.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Protracted Functional and Structural Reorganization of Human Prefrontal Cortex Supports Lateralized Category Geometries.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 1, 2025

Author Spotlight: Deciphering Neural Circuit Formation from Two-Photon Microscopy and Single Neuron Imaging
06:18

Author Spotlight: Deciphering Neural Circuit Formation from Two-Photon Microscopy and Single Neuron Imaging

Published on: November 21, 2023

1.0K

Cortical recycling in high-level visual cortex during childhood development.

Marisa Nordt1, Jesse Gomez2, Vaidehi S Natu1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.

Nature Human Behaviour
|June 18, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

During childhood brain development, areas in the ventral temporal cortex specializing in face and word recognition grow, while limb-selective areas shrink. This suggests cortical recycling as brain function is repurposed.

More Related Videos

Monocular Visual Deprivation and Ocular Dominance Plasticity Measurement in the Mouse Primary Visual Cortex
08:42

Monocular Visual Deprivation and Ocular Dominance Plasticity Measurement in the Mouse Primary Visual Cortex

Published on: February 8, 2020

10.6K
Stimulus-specific Cortical Visual Evoked Potential Morphological Patterns
09:42

Stimulus-specific Cortical Visual Evoked Potential Morphological Patterns

Published on: May 12, 2019

6.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 1, 2025

Author Spotlight: Deciphering Neural Circuit Formation from Two-Photon Microscopy and Single Neuron Imaging
06:18

Author Spotlight: Deciphering Neural Circuit Formation from Two-Photon Microscopy and Single Neuron Imaging

Published on: November 21, 2023

1.0K
Monocular Visual Deprivation and Ocular Dominance Plasticity Measurement in the Mouse Primary Visual Cortex
08:42

Monocular Visual Deprivation and Ocular Dominance Plasticity Measurement in the Mouse Primary Visual Cortex

Published on: February 8, 2020

10.6K
Stimulus-specific Cortical Visual Evoked Potential Morphological Patterns
09:42

Stimulus-specific Cortical Visual Evoked Potential Morphological Patterns

Published on: May 12, 2019

6.2K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

  • The human ventral temporal cortex (VTC) features category-selective regions crucial for perceiving faces, bodies, places, and words.
  • Understanding the developmental trajectory of these specialized brain regions in children is essential for comprehending typical and atypical brain development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the longitudinal development of category selectivity within the VTC in school-aged children.
  • To determine how the specialization of VTC regions for categories like faces, words, and limbs changes over time during childhood.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to track changes in brain activity and category selectivity.
  • Conducted longitudinal assessments over a period of 1 to 5 years in school-aged children.

Main Results:

  • Face- and word-selective regions in the VTC showed expansion and increased category selectivity from childhood into adolescence.
  • Limb-selective regions exhibited shrinkage and a decrease in limb preference over the same developmental period.
  • A significant inverse relationship was observed: increased face and word selectivity correlated with decreased limb selectivity, indicating functional repurposing.

Conclusions:

  • The findings provide evidence for cortical recycling in the VTC during childhood development, where neural resources are repurposed.
  • This developmental process challenges previous notions of fixed cortical organization and highlights the dynamic nature of brain development.
  • Understanding this VTC functional reorganization is critical for interpreting typical and atypical neurodevelopmental trajectories.