Fusiform Face Area
The fusiform face area (FFA) is located inside of the fusiform gyrus (on the bottom of the brain, underneath the IT cortex), and is believed to be most responsible for the perception and recognition of faces. The FFA doesn’t work solely for recognizing faces, it also aids in the recognition of other complex objects that people have had multiple experiences with. The use of fMRIs has shown that when presented with faces or other objects of similar complexity, this area of the brain experiences a significant amount of activation every time. Despite the fusiform gyrus being clearly connected to face perception, it’s exact role hasn’t yet been identified. However, it has been discovered that the FFA is typically more selective when someone is perceiving human features than if they were to be perceiving any other living animal’s features.
Fig 1. Brain diagram with the Fusiform Face Area (in blue).
Fig 2. Activated Fusiform Face Areas from an inferior view of the brain
Prosopagnosia 