The receptive field of a retinal ganglion cell results from a pattern of synapses between photoreceptors, horizontal cells, amacrine cells, and bipolar cells.Which of the following demonstrates the balance between excitatory and inhibitory inputs to an on-center retinal ganglion cell?
A) When light covers the entire receptive field, it has very little effect on the firing rate of the ganglion cell for that receptive field.
B) When light falls only on the center of the receptive field, action potentials are maximally induced.
C) Where there is no light exposure, action potentials are infrequent.
D) When light reaches only the surround of the receptive field, action potentials are absent.
E) When light covers the entire receptive field, action potentials are absent.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When light covers the entire receptive field, the excitatory input from the center and the inhibitory input from the surround cancel each other out, resulting in little change in the firing rate.

The Receptive Field of a Retinal Ganglion Cell Results from a Pattern