We assessed the growth of the rat photopic electroretinogram (ERG) during light adaptation and the mechanisms underlying this process. Full field ERG responses were recorded from anesthetized adult Brown-Norway rats at each minute for 20 min of light adaptation (backgrounds: 1.8, 2.1, 2.4 log scotopic cd m(-2)). The rat photopic b-wave amplitude increased with duration of light adaptation and its width at 33% maximal amplitude narrowed (by approximately 40 ms). These effects peaked 12-15 min after background onset. The narrowing of the b-wave reflected steepening of the b-wave recovery phase, with little change in the rising phase. OP amplitudes grew in proportion to the b-wave. Inhibition of inner retinal responses using TTX resulted in a greater relative growth of b-wave and OP amplitude compared with fellow control eyes, and delayed the change in recovery phase by approximately 5 min. Inhibition of all ionotropic glutamate receptors with CNQX/D-AP7 delayed both rising and recovery phases equally (approximately 12 ms) without altering b-wave width or the time course of adaptation changes. These outcomes suggest that inner retinal light responses are not directly responsible for b-wave amplitude growth, but may contribute to the change in its recovery phase during adaptation. A TTX-sensitive mechanism may help to hasten this process. The cone a-wave was isolated using PDA/L-AP4 or CNQX/L-AP4. A-wave amplitude (35 ms after stimulus onset) also increased with time during light adaptation and reached a maximum (130 +/- 29% above baseline) 12-15 min after background onset. B-wave amplitude growth in fellow control eyes closely followed the course and relative magnitude of cone a-wave amplitude growth. Hence, the increase of the cone response during light adaptation is sufficient to explain b-wave amplitude growth.