Final answer:
Orientation-selective neurons in the primary visual cortex, known as V1, respond to lines or gradients oriented in specific directions and play a key role in visual processing.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cells in V1 that respond to line, or gradient, oriented in particular direction are known as orientation-selective neurons in the primary visual cortex. This biological phenomena relates to the field of neuroscience, which encompasses the study of the nervous system and its response to stimuli. Orientation-selective neurons are crucial for visual processing, as they enable the perception of the orientation of objects within the visual field.
The visual cortex consists of different types of cells that each respond to specific visual cues; some are sensitive to color, others to movement, and, as in the case of V1 cells in question, some respond to specific orientations of lines or edges. This ability to detect orientations is a fundamental aspect of pattern recognition and is vital for tasks such as reading and recognizing faces. These cells are part of a complex network that processes visual information received from the eyes and transmits it to other parts of the brain for further processing and interpretation.