Editing Visual memory (section)

=== Visual cortex ===
[[File:Ventral-dorsal streams.svg|thumb|The [[Two Streams hypothesis#Dorsal stream|dorsal stream]] (green) and [[Two Streams hypothesis#Ventral stream|ventral stream]] (purple) are both actively involved in visual memory. Both pathways originate in the [[visual cortex]].]]

There is a [[visual cortex]] in each [[Cerebral hemisphere|hemisphere]] of the brain, much of which is located in the [[Occipital lobe]]. The left hemisphere visual cortex receives signals mainly from the right visual field and the right visual cortex mainly from the left visual field, although each cortex receives a considerable amount of information from the ipsilateral visual field as well. The visual cortex also receives information from subcortical regions, such as the [[Lateral geniculate nucleus|lateral geniculate body]], located in the thalamus. However, ample evidence indicates that object identity and location are preferentially processed in ventral (occipito-temporal) and dorsal (occipito-parietal) cortical visual streams, respectively.<ref name="M3" />
Comparison of [[Molecular imaging#Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)|rCBF]] during performance of the two tasks again revealed differences between the ventral and dorsal pathways.<ref name="M3" />

==== Dorsal stream pathway ====
{{Main|Dorsal stream}}

The dorsal stream pathway is mainly involved in the visual-spatial location of objects in the external world, and it is also known colloquially as the 'where' pathway. The dorsal stream pathway is also involved in the guidance of movements (e.g., reaching for an object in space), and is therefore implicated in the  analysis of the movement of objects in addition to their spatial locations.

The dorsal stream pathway begins with purely visual information in the occipital lobe, and then this information is transferred to the parietal lobe for spatial awareness functions. Specifically, the posterior parietal cortex is essential for "the perception and interpretation of spatial relationships, accurate body image, and the learning of tasks involving coordination of the body in space."<ref>{{cite book|last=Bear|first=Mark|title=Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain|url=https://archive.org/details/neuroscienceexpl00mark|url-access=registration|date=2007|publisher=Lippincott Williams & Wilkins|location=Hagerstown, MD|isbn=978-0-7817-6003-4}}</ref>

==== Ventral stream pathway ====
{{Main|Ventral stream}}

The ventral stream pathway is mainly involved in object recognition, and is known colloquially as the 'what' pathway. It has connections to the medial temporal lobe (which is involved in the storage of long-term memories), the [[limbic system]] (which regulates emotions), and the dorsal stream pathway (which is involved in the visual-spatial locations and motions of objects). Therefore, the ventral stream pathway not only deals with the recognition of objects in the external world, but also the emotional judgement and analysis of these objects.

The ventral stream pathway begins with purely visual information in the primary visual cortex (occipital lobe), and then this information is transferred to the temporal lobe.