PSYC2390_5.1

Visual Cortex

The part of the brain responsible for processing visual information.

LGN

Lateral Geniculate Nucleus, involved in the visual pathway between the retina and the visual cortex.

Contralateral

Refers to structures on opposite sides of the body or brain.

Ipsilateral

Refers to structures on the same side of the body or brain.

Photoreceptors

Cells in the retina that respond to light, including rods and cones.

Bipolar Cells

Retinal neurons that receive input from photoreceptors and transmit it to ganglion cells.

Optic Nerve

The nerve that transmits visual information from the retina to the brain.

Striate Cortex

Also known as V1 or primary visual cortex, responsible for processing visual information.

V1

Primary visual cortex, where visual information from the LGN is processed.

Retinotopic Map

A spatial representation of the visual field in the visual cortex.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

An imaging technique that measures changes in blood flow to study brain activity.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

A technique for measuring and mapping brain activity based on changes in blood oxygenation.

Cortical Magnification

The phenomenon where the foveal region of the retina is represented as larger in the cortex.

Location Columns

Vertical columns in the visual cortex that contain neurons with receptive fields at the same location on the retina.

Orientation Columns

Columns that contain neurons responsive to specific orientations of visual stimuli.

Ocular Dominance Columns

Columns in the visual cortex that preferentially respond to inputs from one eye over the other.

Hypercolumns

Units in the visual cortex containing a complete set of orientation columns and ocular dominance columns.

Receptive Field

The specific area of the retina that influences the firing of a particular neuron.

Dorsal Pathway

The visual processing pathway associated with spatial localization and movement.

Ventral Pathway

The visual processing pathway associated with object recognition.

Ablation

The surgical removal or destruction of a portion of brain tissue to study its function.

Dissociable Effects

Different outcomes observed from manipulating separate brain regions.

Parvocellular Cells

Neurons in the LGN that process fine details and color, associated with the ventral stream.

Magnocellular Cells

Neurons in the LGN that process movement and depth, associated with the dorsal stream.

Ebbinghaus Illusion

An optical illusion affecting size perception.

Inferotemporal Cortex

Brain area involved in high-level visual processing and object recognition.

Fusiform Face Area (FFA)

Region of the brain that is particularly responsive to faces.

Extrastriate Cortex

Regions outside the primary visual cortex involved in processing visual information.

Parahippocampal Place Area (PPA)

Region linked to scene recognition and spatial memory.

Visual Word Form Area (VWFA)

Region in the brain specialized for processing written words.

Ocular Dominance

The tendency of neurons to respond preferentially to one eye.

Genu

The knee-like bend in the optic tract structures.

Retinotopy

The mapping of visual input from the retina to the brain.

Neural Activity Maps

Visual representations of how neurons respond to stimuli or tasks.

Action vs. Perception

Distinction between visual processing for recognizing objects versus locating and interacting with them.

Visual Encoding

The process of converting visual information into discrete representations.

Homologous Structures

Structures in different species that are derived from a common ancestor.

Hierarchical Processing

The organization of the visual system where information is processed at different levels.

Higher Acuity

The capability to discern fine detail in visual images.

Behavioral Evidence

Data gathered from observing actions that support theoretical claims.

Double Dissociation

A situation where two related mental processes are shown to function independently of each other.

Spatial Localization

The ability to determine the location of objects in space.