10-Minute Neuroscience: Visual Pathways

In this video, I cover the pathway visual information travels moving from the eye to the visual cortex and surrounding areas. First, I discuss the components of the eye that focus light on the retina. Then, I describe the anatomy of the retina along with the functions of the different cell types found there. Next, I cover the pathways that carry visual information from the retina to the primary visual cortex. Finally, I describe how the primary visual cortex recruits surrounding visual areas to further process visual information.

Key points:

00:00 Introduction
00:22 Anatomy of the eye
1:35 The retina
2:48 Rods and cones
4:44 Other retinal cells
6:25 Pathway from the retina to visual cortex
8:04 Primary visual cortex and surrounding areas

REFERENCES:

Albright TD, Freiwald WA. 2021. High-Level Visual Processing: From Vision to Cognition. In: Kandel ER, Koester JD, Mack SH, Siegelbaum SA, eds. Principles of Neural Science, 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Breedlove SM, Watson NV. 2018. Behavioral Neuroscience. 8th ed. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates, Inc.

Meister M, Tessier-Lavigne M. 2021. Low-Level Visual Processing: The Retina. In: Kandel ER, Koester JD, Mack SH, Siegelbaum SA, eds. Principles of Neural Science, 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Purves D, Augustine GJ, Fitzpatrick D, Hall WC, Lamantia AS, Mooney RD, Platt ML, White LE. 2018. Neuroscience. 6th ed. New York: Sinauer Associates.

Vanderah TW, Gould DJ. 2021. Nolte's The Human Brain: An Introduction to its Functional Anatomy. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier.