Bipolar cells in the retina respond to which type of neurotransmitter?

Bipolar cells in the retina are integral components of the visual processing pathway. They primarily respond to glutamate, which is the main neurotransmitter released by photoreceptors (rods and cones) in the retina. When light hits these photoreceptors, they hyperpolarize and decrease their release of glutamate. This change in glutamate levels is then detected by the bipolar cells, leading to either depolarization or hyperpolarization depending on the type of bipolar cell involved.

The role of glutamate in this context is crucial, as it acts on specific glutamate receptors on the bipolar cells, influencing their response and relay of visual information to ganglion cells. Understanding this mechanism is fundamental to grasping how the retina converts light into neural signals that the brain interprets as visual information.