What is the Difference Between Visual Cortex and Occipital Lobe

The main difference between visual cortex and occipital lobe is that the visual cortex is located in the occipital lobe, whereas the occipital lobe is the area for the visual processing of the brain.

The visual cortex and occipital lobe are two components of the brain responsible for processing visual information. 

Key Areas Covered

1. What is a Visual Cortex
– Definition, Anatomy, Function
2. What is Occipital Lobe
– Definition, Anatomy, Function
3. Similarities Between Visual Cortex and Occipital Lobe
– Outline of Common Features
4. Difference Between Visual Cortex and Occipital Lobe
– Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms 

Occipital Lobe, Visual Cortex

What is a Visual Cortex

The visual cortex is the brain area of the cerebral cortex that processes visual information. It locates in the occipital lobe. The primary visual cortex, or the visual area 1, occurs around the calcarine fissure in the occipital lobe. The appearance of visual stimuli fires the action potential in the neurons of the visual cortex. From the eye, sensory information transmits from the thalamus‘s lateral geniculate nucleus to the visual cortex. The visual area 1 of the primary visual cortex receives the visual information. Also, both hemispheres of the brain contain the visual cortex. However, the right hemisphere receives information from the left visual field, while the left hemisphere receives information from the right visual field.

Figure 1: Primary visual Cortex

Furthermore, visual area 1 transmits information to the two pathways: ventral stream and dorsal stream. The ventral stream starts from visual area 1 and transmits through visual area 2, visual area 4, and the inferior temporal cortex. In comparison, the dorsal stream starts from visual area 1 and transmits through visual area 2 to the dorsomedial area to the medial temporal area.  

What is Occipital Lobe

The occipital lobe is an important brain region for visual processing and perception. Located at the back of the cerebral cortex, it is one of the four main lobes of the brain. The primary function of it is to receive and process visual information from the eyes. It contains the main visual cortex, also known as V1 or the striate cortex, which is the main destination for visual inputs. The visual information is transmitted from the retina to the occipital lobe via the optic nerve. The main visual cortex analyses the basic features of the visual scene, such as shape, color, motion, and orientation.

Figure 2: The Occipital Lobe

The occipital lobe can be further divided into several functional areas beyond the main visual cortex. These areas are responsible for higher-level visual processing, including object recognition, spatial perception, and visual memory. One such area is the secondary visual cortex (V2), which analyzes more complex visual features, such as the organization of visual stimuli and the perception of edges and contours. Additionally, the occipital lobe houses the visual association cortex, which integrates visual information from multiple sources and helps interpret and recognize objects and scenes. 

Similarities Between the Visual Cortex and Occipital Lobe

• The visual cortex and occipital lobe are two components of the brain.
• They are responsible for the processing of visual information.
• They are located in the rear lobe of the brain.

Difference Between Visual Cortex and Occipital Lobe

Definition

The visual cortex refers to the primary cortical region of the brain that receives, processes, and integrates visual information relayed from the retinas, while the occipital lobe refers to the visual processing area of the brain, associated with visuospatial processing, distance, depth perception, color determination, object and face recognition, and memory formation.

Location

The visual cortex locates in the occipital lobe of the primary cerebral cortex, while the occipital lobe locates very back of the skull above the cerebellum. 

Anatomy

The visual cortex belongs to the primary cortical region of the brain, while the occipital lobe is the smallest of the four lobes of the cerebral hemisphere.  

Function

The visual cortex receives, segments, and integrates visual information. At the same time, the occipital lobe is associated with visuospatial processing, distance and depth perception, color determination, object and face recognition, and memory formation. 

Conclusion

In brief, the visual cortex and occipital lobe are two components of the brain responsible for processing visual information. The visual cortex locates in the occipital lobe of the primary cerebral cortex. It belongs to the primary cortical region of the brain. Its function is to receive, segment, and integrate visual information. In comparison, the occipital lobe locates very back of the brain above the cerebellum. It is the smallest lobe among the four lobes of the cerebral cortex. It is associated with visuospatial processing, distance and depth perception, color determination, object and face recognition, and memory formation. Therefore, the main difference between the visual cortex and the occipital lobe is their anatomy and function.

References:

1. Huff T, Mahabadi N, Tadi P. Neuroanatomy, Visual Cortex. 2022 Jul 25. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan–. PMID: 29494110.
2. Rehman A, Al Khalili Y. Neuroanatomy, Occipital Lobe. [Updated 2022 Jul 25]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Visualcortex” By Chavez01 at English Wikipedia – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “BA17 Primary visual cortex – medial view” By Polygon data were generated by Database Center for Life Science(DBCLS) – Own Work (CC-BY SA 2.1 jp) via Commons Wikimedia