2101 -week 9 visual system

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and definitions related to the foundations of neuroscience, specifically in the context of the visual system.

Retinofugal projection

The pathway that carries visual information from the retina to the brain, leaving the retina.

Lateral Geniculate Nucleus (LGN)

A major relay center in the thalamus for visual information received from the retina.

Monocular

Referring to visual input that is received from one eye.

Binocular

Referring to visual input that is received from both eyes.

Ocular dominance

The preferential response of neurons in the cortex to input from one eye over the other.

Simple cells

Neurons in V1 that are orientation-selective and respond optimally to a bar of light at a specific position.

Complex cells

Neurons in V1 that are also orientation-selective but respond to optimally oriented bars of light anywhere within their receptive field.

Dorsal stream

The pathway in the visual system that analyzes motion and spatial relations, often referred to as the 'Where?' pathway.

Ventral stream

The pathway in the visual system involved in object recognition, referred to as the 'What?' pathway.

Retinotopy

The spatial arrangement of visual input from the retina is preserved in the visual processing areas of the brain.

Preferred orientation

The specific orientation of a stimulus that a neuron is maximally responsive to.

Receptive field (RF)

The area of retinal or visual field stimulation that increases or decreases the firing rate of a neuron.