Which structures are responsible for visual reflexes?

The structures responsible for visual reflexes are indeed the superior colliculi. These paired structures are located in the midbrain and play a crucial role in coordinating eye movements and visual reflexes. They integrate sensory information, particularly visual inputs, and help initiate reflexive responses such as orienting the head and eyes toward stimuli in the visual field. This function is essential for tracking moving objects and ensuring that visual information is processed efficiently, allowing us to respond quickly to changes in our environment.

The superior colliculi receive input from the retina via the optic tract and are involved in reflexive actions requiring visual attention, in addition to being involved in initiating saccadic eye movements. This ability to react to visual stimuli, such as shifting gaze when something moves unexpectedly, underscores their importance in visual reflexes.

In contrast, the inferior colliculi are primarily involved in auditory processing and reflexes, the medial geniculate body serves as a relay station within the auditory pathway, and the cuneate tubercle is associated with the processing of somatosensory information rather than visual reflexes. Thus, the superior colliculi stand out as the critical structures for visual reflex actions.