Do horizontal cells produce graded potentials or action potentials?

Horizontal cells in the retina are specialized neurons that play a critical role in the processing of visual information. They are involved in lateral inhibition, which enhances contrast and sharpness of visual signals.

Horizontal cells generate graded potentials rather than action potentials. Graded potentials are changes in membrane potential that vary continuously and are proportional to the strength of the stimulus. This allows horizontal cells to respond to varying levels of light intensity and modulate the input they receive from photoreceptors.

In contrast, action potentials are all-or-nothing signals that are typically associated with the transmission of signals over long distances in neurons, such as in ganglion cells within the retina. Since horizontal cells are mainly involved in local processing of signals and do not propagate action potentials, their function is correctly represented as producing graded potentials. This characteristic aligns with their role in the spatial processing of visual stimuli rather than long-distance signal transmission.