True or false: Each retinal ganglion cell receives signals from several photoreceptors.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Depends on cell type
• D. Not enough information

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that retinal ganglion cells integrate information from many photoreceptors to form their responses. Photoreceptors feed into bipolar cells, which then connect to a single ganglion cell, and the ganglion cell’s receptive field covers a patch of the retina. The center of that field is driven by signals from photoreceptors in a small area, while the surround is shaped by inputs from neighboring photoreceptors via lateral circuits. This arrangement lets the ganglion cell detect contrast and spatial patterns rather than just a single photoreceptor’s input. While the wiring is more tightly organized in the fovea—leading to closer-to-one-photoreceptor input for some pathways—the general architecture is convergence from multiple photoreceptors for most ganglion cells. So the statement is true.