Abstract
The Merkel cell is a distinctive cell normally found in the epidermis of mammals. It possesses a folded nucleus; a clear, organelle-rich cytoplasm with peripheral protrusions among the epithelial cells; and a few desmosomal attachments to adjacent cells. The cytoplasm is characterized by many dense-cored, membrane-bound granucles, 80 to 100 nm in diameter and distributed in the cytoplasm next to the nerve termination. The Merkel cell is found isolated in the epidermis or associated with epithelial nerve endings such as the hederiform ending of Merkel-Ranvier, the tactile hair disk of pinkus, and the organ of Eimer. It may be observed in the dermis in relation to nerve trunks and also within the corpuscles of Grandry found in the skin of the duck bill. The merkel cell appears to be an individual cell type, probably derived from the neural crest. Which is capable of living in union with neural and epithelial cells. The Merkel cell penetrates the epidermis in fetal life and functions as a specific, slowly adapting, sensory touch receptor.
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