Merkel Disc Histology
Merkel cells also known as merkel ranvier cells or tactile epithelial cells are oval shaped mechanoreceptors essential for light touch sensation and found in the skin of vertebrates.
Merkel disc histology. Though it has been reported that merkel cells are derived from neural crest cells more recent experiments in mammals have indicated that they are in fact epithelia. Each ending consists of a merkel cell in close apposition with an enlarged nerve terminal. And thats because merkels disk is actually just a specialized keratinocyte or an epithelial cell thats not unlike the regular cells you have in your epidermis. Merkels disks are densely distributed in the fingertips and lips.
The tumour is centered in the dermis with frequent involvement of the overlying epidermis figures 1 2 and may invade the subcutaneous fat. So it kinda sits in your epidermis. So it kinda looks like this. Merkel cells in the basal epidermis of the skin store serotonin which they release to associated nerve endings in response to pressure.
1 merkel disc for light touch and sensing an object texture expanded nerve endings associated with merkel cell 2 free nerve endings in papillary dermis temperature pain itching tactile sensation 3 root hair plexuses surround the bases of hair follicles in reticular dermis detect movements of hair root hair plexuses. Merkel nerve endings are mechanoreceptors a type of sensory receptor that are found in the basal epidermis and hair follicles. They are abundant in highly sensitive skin like that of the fingertips in humans and make synaptic contacts with somatosensory afferent nerve fibers. The tumour forms sheets nests and rarely ribbons.
This also has an afferent nerve fiber that sits right there. That is the hairless skin found on the palms and fingers the soles of the feet and the lips of humans and other primates. Histology of merkel cell carcinoma merkel cell carcinoma is a neuroendocrine carcinoma composed of densely blue cells. I dont have a fancy picture for it.