Which statement correctly identifies the two major cortical visual streams and their terminating cortical areas?

Which statement correctly identifies the two major cortical visual streams and their terminating cortical areas?

• A. Dorsal stream ending in the parietal cortex; ventral stream ending in the inferotemporal cortex.
• B. Dorsal stream ending in the occipital cortex; ventral stream ending in the frontal cortex.
• C. Dorsal stream ending in the prefrontal cortex; ventral stream ending in the hippocampus.
• D. Dorsal stream ending in the inferotemporal cortex; ventral stream ending in the parietal cortex.

Answer: (A)

Two pathways in the visual system run in parallel to support different aspects of vision. The dorsal pathway is concerned with where things are and how they move, guiding actions, and it ends in the posterior parietal cortex. The ventral pathway is about identifying objects—what they are, including form and color—and it ends in the inferior temporal cortex. This arrangement explains why the statement matching the dorsal stream to the parietal cortex and the ventral stream to the inferotemporal cortex is correct. The other options place the endings in regions that aren’t the established endpoints for these streams (such as ending in occipital, frontal, hippocampal, or other areas), which doesn’t fit the known anatomy and function of the two pathways.

Two pathways in the visual system run in parallel to support different aspects of vision. The dorsal pathway is concerned with where things are and how they move, guiding actions, and it ends in the posterior parietal cortex. The ventral pathway is about identifying objects—what they are, including form and color—and it ends in the inferior temporal cortex. This arrangement explains why the statement matching the dorsal stream to the parietal cortex and the ventral stream to the inferotemporal cortex is correct. The other options place the endings in regions that aren’t the established endpoints for these streams (such as ending in occipital, frontal, hippocampal, or other areas), which doesn’t fit the known anatomy and function of the two pathways.