Final answer:
The left visual field is processed in the right visual cortex, and the right visual field is processed in the left visual cortex, due to the partial crossing of optic nerve fibers at the optic chiasm.
Step-by-step explanation:
Visual information processing in the brain is a complex process where visual information from each visual field is projected to the opposite hemisphere of the brain. Specifically, the left visual field information is processed in the right visual cortex, while the right visual field information is processed in the left visual cortex. This occurs due to the partial decussation (crossing) of the optic nerve fibers at the optic chiasm. The axons projecting from the medial side (closer to the nose) of each retina cross over to the opposite side of the brain, while those from the lateral side (closer to the temple) do not cross and remain on the same side of the brain.
The optic nerve from each eye merges at the optic chiasm, below the brain. There, the fibers from the nasal half of the retina cross over to the opposite side, but the fibers from the temporal half of the retina remain on the same side. Consequently, each hemisphere processes visual information from the opposite visual field—so the left hemisphere processes information from the right visual field and the right hemisphere processes information from the left visual field.