Final answer:
As the distance from the fovea increases, the receptive fields of retinal ganglion cells get larger due to a higher convergence of photoreceptors on each RGC, leading to decreased visual acuity in the peripheral retina.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertaining to the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their receptive field sizes as they relate to their distance from the fovea in the human eye deals with a fundamental aspect of visual acuity. As the distance of the retinal ganglion cell from the fovea increases, the receptive fields get larger.
This is due, in part, to the increasing number of photoreceptors (both rods and cones) that converge upon a single RGC through the bipolar cells as one moves away from the fovea. In the fovea itself, there is a one-to-one relationship between photoreceptors and RGCs, providing very sharp vision. Conversely, as one moves toward the periphery of the retina, this ratio increases, up to 50 photoreceptors to 1 RGC, resulting in less precise vision.
The fovea is designed for high acuity vision due to the decreased number of photoreceptors converging on each RGC and the absence of other retinal structures that would otherwise absorb light and degrade the visual signal. This relationship contributes to the difference in the visual stimulus focused on by the central versus peripheral retina.