The '''visual cortex, a crucial region''' of the [[cerebral cortexbrain]] situated inis the occipitalarea lobe,of playsthe a[[cerebral pivotalcortex]] rolethat inprocesses processing[[visual perception|visual information]]. ThisIt intricateis neurallocated networkin receivesthe sensory[[occipital lobe]]. Sensory input originating from the [[Eye|eyeseye]],s withtravels the journey originating fromthrough the [[lateral geniculate nucleus]] in the [[thalamus]] and culminatingthen inreaches the visual cortex. Specifically,The area of the visual cortex that receives the sensory input from the lateral geniculate nucleus is the primary visual cortex, also recognizedknown as visual area 1 ([[Brodmann area#BA17,V1|V1]]), [[Brodmann area]] 17,<!---don't orwikilink theit striateas cortex,long processesas thisit initialredirects sensoryto inputhere--->, or the striate cortex. NoteworthyThe [[extrastriate cortex|extrastriate]] areas encompassconsist of visual areas 2, 3, 4, and 5 (also known as V2, V3, V4, and V5, or [[Brodmann area 18]] and all [[Brodmann area 19)[1]]).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mather |first1=George |title=The Visual Cortex |url=http://www.lifesci.sussex.ac.uk/home/George_Mather/Linked%20Pages/Physiol/Cortex.html |publisher=School of Life Sciences: University of Sussex |access-date=6 March 2017 |language=en}}</ref>
TheBoth bilateral[[cerebral naturehemisphere|hemispheres of the brain]] ensures that both hemispheres hostinclude a visual cortex,; eachthe withvisual itscortex distinctin role. Thethe left hemisphere'svisual cortex interpretsreceives signals from the right [[visual field]], whileand the visual cortex in the right hemisphere'svisual cortex decodesreceives signals originating from the left visual field.