Final answer:
The correct response to the absorption of light is that the photoreceptor becomes hyperpolarized. This occurs via a process where light causes retinal in rhodopsin to change form, leading to a cascade that closes sodium channels, thus hyperpolarizing the cell and reducing neurotransmitter release to bipolar cells in the retina.
Step-by-step explanation:
In response to the absorption of light, what occurs is that the photoreceptor becomes hyperpolarized. This process is well-documented in the visual transduction pathway, where light causes a molecular change in the pigment molecule rhodopsin.
Specifically, rhodopsin, which contains the cofactor retinal, undergoes a change when a photon interacts with it. This interaction causes a transformation of the retinal from its 11-cis-retinal form to an all-trans-retinal form, in a process known as photoisomerization.
The change in the shape of retinal initiates a cascade of events: activation of a G protein called transducin, subsequent activation of phosphodiesterase (PDE), which then converts cyclic GMP (cGMP) to GMP. The reduction in cGMP leads to the closing of sodium channels, thus resulting in the hyperpolarization of the photoreceptor cell membrane.
As a consequence, the release of neurotransmitter glutamate to bipolar cells in the retina is reduced. Therefore, of the options provided, the correct one is that upon light absorption, the photoreceptor becomes hyperpolarized. It is also worth mentioning that the absorption of light does not produce cyclic GMP or 11-cis-retinal, as these are present before light stimulation, nor does it inhibit phosphodiesterase activity; in fact, it activates this enzyme to reduce cGMP levels.