Merkel cell
| Merkel Cell | |
|---|---|
| Identifiers | |
| MeSH | D018862 |
| NeuroLex ID | nifext_87 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
Merkel cells are oval receptor cells found in the skin of vertebrates that have synaptic contacts with somatosensory afferents. They are associated with the sense of light touch discrimination of shapes and textures. They can turn malignant and form the skin tumor known as Merkel cell carcinoma.
History
They were given their name in 1878 by Robert Bonnet[1] after the 19th century German anatomist Friedrich Sigmund Merkel who was the first to fully describe them in 1872.[2]
Location
Merkel cells are found in the skin and some parts of the mucosa (stratum germinativum) of all vertebrates. In mammalian skin, they are clear cells found in the stratum basale (at the bottom of sweat duct ridges) of the epidermis approximately 10 µm in diameter. They also occur in epidermal invaginations of the plantar foot surface called rete ridges[3] Most often, they are associated with sensory nerve endings, when they are known as Merkel nerve endings (also called a Merkel cell-neurite complex). They are associated with slowly adapting (SA1) somatosensory nerve fibers.
Function
F.S. Merkel referred to these cells as Tastzellen or "touch cells" but this proposed function has been controversial as it has been hard to prove. However, genetic knockout mice have recently shown that Merkel cells are essential for the specialized coding by which afferent nerves resolve fine spatial details.[4] Merkel cells are sometimes considered APUD cells because they contain dense core granules, and thus may also have a neuroendocrine function.
Developmental origin
The origin of Merkel cells is still debated. Evidence from skin graft experiments in birds implies that they are neural crest derived, while experiments in mammals generally point to an epidermal origin.
References
- ^ Merkel's cells Who named it
- ^ Merkel FS. (1875). Tastzellen und Tastkörperchen bei den Hausthieren und beim Menschen. Archiv für mikroskopische Anatomie, 11: 636-652.
- ^ Halata Z, Grim M, Bauman KI. (2003). Friedrich Sigmund Merkel and his "Merkel cell", morphology, development, and physiology: review and new results. Anat Rec A Discov Mol Cell Evol Biol. 271(1):225-39. PMID 12552639
- ^ Maricich SM, Wellnitz SA, Nelson AM, Lesniak DR, Gerling GJ, Lumpkin EA, Zoghbi HY. (2009). Merkel Cells Are Essential for Light-Touch Responses. 324: 1580 - 1582. doi:10.1126/science.1172890
See also
External links
- MeSH A08.800.550.700.500.425
- NIF Search - Merckel Disc Cell via the Neuroscience Information Framework
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