Final answer:
The dorsal stream, or "where/how" pathway, is a visual processing system in the brain responsible for understanding the spatial location of objects and how to interact with them, influencing motor functions for movement.
Step-by-step explanation:
The dorsal stream, also known as the "where/how" pathway, is a part of the visual processing system of the brain that allows us to determine the location of objects and how to interact with them.
After visual information enters the brain and reaches the occipital lobe, it is processed along two pathways: the ventral stream or "what pathway," involved in object recognition, and the dorsal stream, which is involved with spatial location and interactions with visual stimuli.
For instance, when observing a ball roll by, the ventral stream would recognize it as a ball (the 'what'), while the dorsal stream would process the trajectory and motion of the ball (the 'where' and 'how'). The dorsal stream extends from the occipital lobe to the parietal lobe where it interacts with the somatosensory cortex, which is necessary for perceiving the body and its movement.
This pathway is essential for guiding our movements in response to visual information, and it influences motor functions that originate in the frontal lobe of the brain.