Ans. b. Inner nuclear layerMlcroaneurysms are the earliest clinical sign of diabetic retinopathy and occur secondary tocapillary wall outpouching due to pericyte loss.. Thev appear as small red dots' MicroaneurysStructural changes in the retinal microcirculation have been associated with a physiologic breakdown in the bloodretinalbarrier. ihus, the retinal microcirculation in diabetics may be exceptionally leaky, giving rise to macularedema, a common cause of visual loss in these patients.The vascular changes may also produce exudates that accumulate in the outer plexiform layerq