Final answer:
Receptors in the eye featuring rhodopsin cause hyperpolarization when stimulated by light. This is due to a series of reactions where phosphodiesterase is activated, leading to the closure of sodium channels and subsequently hyperpolarizing the photoreceptor cell membrane.
Step-by-step explanation:
Unlike other stimulus receptors, those in the eye which have rhodopsin cause hyperpolarization. When light strikes rhodopsin in the photoreceptors of the retina, it activates a series of biochemical reactions. The G-protein transducin is activated, and in turn, it activates phosphodiesterase. This enzyme converts cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) to guanosine monophosphate (GMP), leading to the closure of sodium channels in the photoreceptor cells.
As a result of these closed sodium channels, the membrane becomes hyperpolarized. This is in contrast to other sensory receptors, which typically become depolarized when stimulated. The hyperpolarization results in a decrease in the release of the neurotransmitter glutamate to the bipolar cells, which is a unique feature of how the visual system transduces light stimuli into neuronal signals.