Final answer:
The pathway between light hitting the eye and reaching the visual cortex involves several structures in the brain, including the retina, optic nerve, thalamus, and visual cortex.
Step-by-step explanation:
The pathway between light hitting the eye and reaching the visual cortex involves several structures in the brain. When light enters the eye, it is captured by specialized cells in the retina called rods and cones, which convert the light into electrical signals. These signals are then sent to the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), which transmit the signals through the optic nerve to the lateral geniculate nucleus in the thalamus. From there, the signals are relayed to the visual cortex in the occipital lobe, where visual perception takes place.