Edit page | Page history | Printable version

Definition

noun

A large, pale, specialized cell with lobulated nuclei and in close apposition with a single sensory nerve ending that chiefly receives touch, pressure, and texture information and relay the information to the brain.

Supplement

The cell is located in the epidermis of the skin and the mucosa of vertebrates. It was first described by Friedrich Sigmund Merkel.

Synonym(s):

• meniscus tactus
• Merkel's corpuscle
• Merkel's tactile cell