Final answer:
When exposed to light, the rods and cones hyperpolarize and remove their inhibition of bipolar cells, allowing the bipolar cells to stimulate the ganglion cells. Horizontal cells create lateral inhibition, while amacrine cells distribute information from one bipolar cell to many ganglion cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
Photoreceptors in the retina are sensitive to light and continuously undergo tonic activity. In the absence of light, the rods and cones inhibit the bipolar cells. When exposed to light, the rods and cones become hyperpolarized, removing their inhibition of bipolar cells and allowing them to stimulate the ganglion cells. This process of hyperpolarization and stimulation of bipolar and ganglion cells is how the visual system encodes visual signals for the brain. Additionally, horizontal cells create lateral inhibition by inhibiting more distant photoreceptors and bipolar cells, which sharpens edges and enhances contrast in the images.
Amacrine cells can also distribute information from one bipolar cell to many ganglion cells. In the retina, there are specialized cells called photoreceptors, namely rods and cones, which are sensitive to light. When light strikes these photoreceptors, they undergo a process that ultimately leads to changes in membrane potential. In the context of inhibitory signals to bipolar cells, it's worth noting that in the retina, there is a layer of cells called horizontal cells that play a role in lateral inhibition. Horizontal cells receive input from photoreceptors and, in turn, inhibit nearby bipolar cells. This lateral inhibition enhances the contrast and sharpens the edges of visual stimuli.