What occurs during lateral inhibition?

A) Adjacent cells in the visual system fire independently of one another and cause multiple inhibitory action potentials.
B) Bright lights inhibit the firing of retinal cells.
C) The absence of light inhibits cell firing in the visual system.
D) Neurons that extend sideways inhibit the activation of neighboring cells.

Lateral Inhibition

A process in the nervous system where neural activity in one neuron inhibits the activity of neighboring neurons, enhancing contrast in sensory information.

Visual System

The part of the central nervous system that is responsible for processing visual information, consisting of the eyes, optic nerves, brain, and pathways that connect them.

Neurons

Specialized cells within the nervous system that transmit information to other neurons or cells through electrical and chemical signals.