Brain
Visual Cortex
Where sight becomes perception
Overview
The visual cortex occupies the occipital lobe and processes visual information from the eyes. The primary visual cortex (V1) receives inputs from the lateral geniculate nucleus and begins detecting edges, orientation, color, and contrast. Higher areas (V2–V5/MT) progressively extract complex features like motion, depth, and object identity.
Function
- V1: detects edges, bars, orientation
- V2: extracts contours and color
- V4: processes color and shape
- V5/MT: detects motion and speed
- Higher areas: object and face recognition
Key Facts
- Half of the human cortex is devoted to visual processing
- Over 30 distinct visual areas have been identified
- The blind spot is where the optic nerve exits — V1 fills it in perceptually
- Color blindness originates in cone photoreceptors, not the visual cortex