What are neurons that respond to specific visual properties called?

Neurons that respond to specific visual properties are known as feature detectors. These specialized neurons are primarily located in the visual cortex and are sensitive to particular features of visual stimuli, such as edges, angles, movement, and colors. They play a crucial role in how we perceive and interpret visual information by allowing us to detect and analyze different aspects of the visual environment.

For instance, feature detectors enable us to recognize faces, read text, and navigate spaces by processing the unique patterns characteristic of these visual inputs. The concept of feature detection is foundational in cognitive psychology, as it showcases how our brains are wired to extract meaningful information from the array of sensory data we receive. This specialization in the neural processing of visual information highlights the complexity of the visual system and the critical role of feature detectors in perception.