What is the occipital lobe responsible for? Learn the occipital lobe definition, function, and location, and read about structures in the occipital region.
Occipital Lobe | Overview & Effects
Table of Contents
- Occipital Lobe Definition and Location
- Occipital Lobe Function
- Occipital Region
- Effects of Occipital Lobe Damage
- Lesson Summary
- FAQs
- Activities
Occipital Lobe True or False Activity
In this activity, you will check your knowledge regarding the definition, location, and function of the occipital lobe, as presented from the lesson.
Directions
Determine whether the following statements are true or false. To do this, print or copy this page on a blank paper and underline or circle the answer.
1. The cerebellum is the largest part of the brain and is composed of the right and left hemispheres.
True | False
2. The occipital lobe is the visual processing center of the mammalian brain.
True | False
3. Tissue damage in the occipital lobe can interfere with the interpretation of visual images.
True | False
4. The primary cortex unlocks the ability to process and give depth on objects in the visual field.
True | False
5. Only one lobe resides in the cerebrum known as the occipital lobe.
True | False
6. The brain controls the central nervous system and is made up of four major regions, including the cerebrum.
True | False
7. Since the brain is divided into halves, the left and right halves of the occipital lobe each have two primary visual cortices.
True | False
8. Hallucinations are the sensory perception of something that does not really exist.
True | False
9. The primary cortex is necessary for the interpretation of sound for the purpose of cognitive awareness.
True | False
10. The cerebrum is responsible for sensory functions and higher mental functions such as consciousness, thought, emotion, and memory.
True | False
Answer Key
1. False, because the correct statement is, The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain and is composed of the right and left hemispheres.
2. True
3. True
4. True
5. False, because the correct statement is, Multiple lobes reside in the cerebrum, one of which is the occipital lobe.
6. True
7. False, because the correct statement is, Since the brain is divided into halves, the left and right halves of the occipital lobe each have a primary visual cortex.
8. True
9. False, because the correct statement is, The primary cortex is necessary for the interpretation of vision for the purpose of cognitive awareness.
10. True
Where is the location of the occipital lobe?
The occipital lobe is located at the posterior cerebral cortex, and it is also the smallest of the cerebrum lobes.
What is the occipital area?
The occipital lobe is located at the posterior cerebral cortex, hence its name deriving from the Latin 'ob' meaning 'behind' and 'caput' meaning 'head'.
What is the function of the occipital lobe?
The main function of the occipital lobe is to process visual information coming from the eyes via the retina. This corresponds to understanding visual cues like object perception and recognition, depth perception, and color.
What happens if the occipital lobe is damaged?
Damage to the occipital lobe can result in blindness. However, it can also result in a multitude of other conditions, including epilepsy, problems identifying color and objects, and problems with movement.
What part of the body does the occipital lobe control?
The occipital lobe does not control a part of the body. Instead, it receives input from the retina and processes visual information before sending it to other areas in the brain such as the parietal and temporal lobes.
Table of Contents
- Occipital Lobe Definition and Location
- Occipital Lobe Function
- Occipital Region
- Effects of Occipital Lobe Damage
- Lesson Summary
The occipital lobe is one of the four main lobes in the cerebral cortex, located at the back of the head. The word "occipital" comes from the Latin prefix ob and the word caput, meaning behind and head respectively. This lobe is the smallest of the four in the cerebral cortex: consisting of two lobes whose location is on each side of the posterior cerebrum, at the back of the brain. Although technically two separate lobes, they are often referred to as one primary lobe.
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The occipital lobe's primary function is to process visual stimuli. The primary visual cortex, which is the main visual processing system in humans and primates, is located in this region. Other main structures within the lobe are the secondary visual cortex and the dorsomedial stream, which are also key components of the visual processing system.
Visual Processing
Importantly, the occipital lobe only processes visual information received by receptors in the retina. The lobe itself has no direct control over the eyes and their movement, only processing the visual stimuli they receive.
Visual processing begins within the eye, when light enters the eye via the cornea, goes through the pupil, and then onto the retina. Photoreceptors are important sensory cells located within the retina, consisting of rods and cones. Rods are photoreceptors that respond to dimmer light, and do not detect color. There are fewer cones present within the retina, but they can detect brighter light sources and distinguish between colors.
Photoreceptors are responsible for transduction, the conversion of light energy into sensory signals. The rods and cones detect photons, gauging the intensity and color of the light being received, and produce neuronal signals. These photoreceptors send these signals to other important cells, creating the optic nerve, which crosses through the lateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus and into each respective hemisphere. From there, the information reaches the occipital lobe, where the bulk of visual processing takes place.
The occipital lobe is responsible for functions within vision and visual information processing, including:
- Color
- Depth
- Movement
- Distance
- Object and Facial Recognition
The primary visual cortex (also known as Brodmann area 17 and V1, or the striate cortex) within the occipital lobe receives visual information from the eyes via the retina, where visual stimuli is converted via transduction into information pertaining to visual properties, such as color and shape.
The secondary visual cortex (also known as Brodmann area 18/19 , V2, V3, V4, V5, or the extrastriate cortex) is the secondary processing system, receiving input from the primary visual cortex. It is also known as being the visual association cortex because it receives inputs from the primary visual cortex in addition to inputs within the area itself.
The ventral stream is one of two key pathways within the primary visual cortex, and it is responsible for identifying objects. Because of this, it's commonly referred to as the "what" stream. It sends information to the temporal lobe, which is responsible for identification of objects. Within this stream, we have important aspects, including:
- Facial recognition
- Color determination
- Object recognition
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The dorsal stream is responsible for identifying the object's location. Because of this, it's commonly referred to as the "where" stream. It sends its information to the parietal lobe, which is responsible for understanding space and location. This stream is responsible for several aspects, including:
- Object motion
- Movement
- Spatial location
The lateral geniculate bodies are responsible for receiving visual information directly from the retinas within each eye and it then sends this information to the visual cortices within the occipital lobes. These nuclei are located within the thalamus, which is an important relay structure within the brain.
The lingula is an area within the occipital lobe that primarily receives visual information describing the field of vision. It has also been shown to be important in encoding visual memories, processing letters and words, and determining temporal order.
When the occipital lobe experiences trauma and is damaged, the first symptom is often 'seeing stars'. This is because when pressure is applied to this area, the neurons may fire without control, resulting in an individual suddenly perceiving visual star-like spots that are not actually present. Severe damage to the occipital lobe most often results in blindness. However, there are many other consequences, including:
- Movement difficulties: damage to areas corresponding to depth perception may lead to difficulties in movement control and navigation.
- Recognition difficulties: damage to areas pertaining to facial or object recognition may affect the ability to recognize them. Prosopagnosia is a disorder defined by having difficulties recognizing faces, resulting from damage in the temporal lobe and its connections to certain areas within the visual cortex.
- Epilepsy: Seizures may result as a consequence of damage in this area.
- Difficulties with color perception: This includes difficulties perceiving shapes, sizes, and dimensions.
The occipital lobe is located at the posterior cerebrum and is responsible for visual processing.
- Visual processing corresponds to a series of steps beginning with the retina in the eye, whereby via the process of transduction, light activates photoreceptors which then form the optic nerve on each hemisphere. These optic nerves converge through the lateral geniculate nucleus and cross into the hemispheres, where the bulk of visual processing takes place.
- The occipital lobe corresponds to structures such as the primary and secondary visual areas, the ventral and dorsal streams, the lateral geniculate bodies, and the lingula. Importantly, these structures serve key functions within visual processing, such as understanding an object's location, size, color, and dimensions.
- If the occipital lobe is damaged, this could result in key consequences including blindness, epilepsy, and failure to recognize objects and faces (e.g. prosopagnosia).
Video Transcript
Introduction to the Brain
The brain is the primary structure of the nervous system. It's responsible for directing and controlling multiple aspects of our bodily functions. The largest region of the brain is the cerebrum, and it's the part responsible for personality, thinking, and sensory interpretation. Multiple lobes exist in the cerebrum, and these lobes have specific functions as it relates to the senses.
Sensory information is necessary to perceive changes in the world around us, and different sections of the cerebrum will be responsible for receiving information from different senses. The following sections will discuss the occipital lobe and its primary function: the processing of vision and visual information.
Location and Function of the Occipital Lobe
The occipital lobe is located in the posterior (back region) of the cerebrum, superior to (above) the cerebellum. It's protected by cranial bones, with the primary protective bone being the occipital bone. The occipital lobe is also divided into right and left halves, as is the entire cerebrum.
The occipital lobe houses the primary visual cortices. These are the portions of the cerebrum that receive visual information from the eyes and the optic nerve and organize it into images that the brain can recognize. This includes the ability to determine spatial organization, like a three-dimensional map of the objects in the visual field. The primary cortex, then, is necessary for the interpretation of vision for the purposes of cognitive or mental awareness. Since the brain is divided into halves, the left and right halves of the occipital lobe each have a primary visual cortex.
Damage to the Occipital Lobe
One of the best ways to understand the visual function of the occipital lobe is to discuss what happens when it's damaged. For example, whenever someone experiences a concussion through blunt force to the head, one key symptom is blurry vision. Many concussions cause damage to the occipital lobe, and although it may be temporary, it will distort vision.
Brain lesions, or tissue damage, in the occipital lobe can also interfere with the interpretation of visual images. Many individuals with brain lesions in the occipital lobe will experience hallucinations, or false images. In this case, they will perceive images that are not real or misinterpret real images.
Lesson Summary
The occipital lobe of the brain is responsible for vision and houses the primary visual cortex. Therefore, the ability to interpret and understand visual images requires proper functioning of this portion of the brain. It is through the occipital lobe that we are able to experience and perceive the world around us through the specialized sense of vision.
Occipital Lobe Terms
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| Parts/Conditions of the Brain | Explanations/Functions |
|---|---|
| Cerebrum | the part of the brain that's responsible for personality, thinking, and sensory interpretation |
| Occipital lobe | houses the primary visual cortices |
| Primary visual cortices | the portions of the cerebrum that receive visual information from the eyes and the optic nerve and organize it into images that the brain can recognize |
| Brain lesions | can interfere with the interpretation of visual images |
| Hallucinations from brain lesions | a person may see false images |
Learning Outcomes
Reviewing the lesson on the occipital lobe can prepare you to carry out these actions:
- Discuss the importance of the cerebrum
- Specify the location and function of the occipital lobe
- Explain ways in which the occipital lobe can become damaged and identify the effects of that damage on the individual
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