Which part of the brain is responsible for basic visual processing?

The cuneus is a region located in the occipital lobe of the brain and plays a crucial role in basic visual processing. It is involved in the early stages of visual perception, specifically related to processing visual information such as shape, color, and motion. As visual stimuli are received from the retina through the optic nerve, they are processed in the primary visual cortex, which includes the cuneus. This area helps in constructing a foundational understanding of what we see, making it essential for the interpretation of visual input.

The lingual gyrus, while also part of the occipital lobe and involved in visual processing, has a more specific role in processing visual information related to letters and numbers. The medial geniculate nucleus is part of the auditory system, playing a key role in processing sound rather than visual information. The planum temporale, primarily associated with language processing, is also not involved in basic visual processing. Thus, the cuneus stands out as the dedicated area for fundamental visual tasks, making it the correct answer in this context.