Occipital cortex

The occipital cortex comprises the cortical areas within the occipital lobe of the brain, most notably the primary visual cortex (V1, Brodmann area 17) and surrounding association cortices (V2–V5, Brodmann areas 18/19). These regions are responsible for the initial reception, interpretation, and integration of visual information from the retina via the thalamic lateral geniculate nucleus. The occipital cortex plays a central role in visual perception, including detection of light, shape, color, movement, and complex patterns. Damage to this region can lead to partial or complete cortical blindness, visual field defects, or specific perceptual disorders such as visual agnosias. The "occipital cortex" is not a molecule, receptor, enzyme, transporter, or single cellular target; it is a large brain region made up of multiple neuron types and layers. If you are seeking information about a specific molecular target within the visual system (e.g., glutamate receptor, GABAergic interneuron, etc.), please provide a more specific name.

Other names

Primary visual cortex (V1)Visual association cortex (V2–V5)Striate cortex (for V1)Extrastriate cortex (for V2–V5)visual cortex

none (not applicable)