Merkel cell

Merkel cells are large oval cells found in the skin of vertebrates. They are associated with the sense of touch, and are responsible for the highly malignant skin tumor known as Merkel cell carcinoma.

History

They were named after the outstanding 19th century anatomist Friedrich Sigmund Merkelwho was the first to fully describe them in 1875.

Location

Merkel cells are found in the in the skin and some parts of the mucosa of all vertebrates. In mammalian skin they are found in the basal layer of the epidermis, and measure 10 ? 15 µm across. Most often they are associated with sensory nerve endings, when they are known as Merkel nerve endings.

Function

F.S. Merkel referred to them as Tastzellen or "touch cells", although their function has been disputed ever since.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkel+cell Wikipedia article Merkel cell.