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The reduction of cgmp levels results in the closure of calcium ion channels, leading to hyperpolarization of the cone cell:

a. true
b. false

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Final answer:

The reduction of cGMP leads to the closure of sodium channels, not calcium ion channels, which results in hyperpolarization in cone cells. This process involves a negative feedback loop crucial for visual signal transduction.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement is false because the reduction of cGMP levels leads to the closure of sodium channels, not calcium ion channels, causing hyperpolarization of the cone cell membrane. When light strikes rhodopsin in the cone cells of the retina, a G-protein called transducin is activated. This activated transducin then stimulates an enzyme called phosphodiesterase, which converts cGMP into GMP. Once cGMP levels decrease, sodium channels close, causing the cell to become less positive inside and leading to hyperpolarization.

During this hyperpolarized state, the cone cell does not release the neurotransmitter glutamate to the adjacent bipolar cells, which is crucial for visual signal transduction. This process is part of a larger signaling pathway that ultimately allows us to process visual stimuli into images. It's important to note that this sequence of events describes a negative feedback loop where negatively charged ions contribute to the hyperpolarization of the cell.

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