1. The visual cortex processes visual information by detecting correlated features and representing this information sparsely and independently across neural populations. 2. Individual neurons in the visual cortex learn tuning functions that are sensitive to the most informative dimensions of the visual environment, such as orientation, spatial frequency, and color. 3. The brain forms a hierarchical model of visual information, with neurons in higher cortical areas representing more complex features built upon those in lower areas. This efficient coding scheme allows for effective processing of visual information.