Merkel Disc Structure
Wherever they are found the epithelium is arranged to optimize the transfer of pressure to the ending.
Merkel disc structure. Merkel cells also may play a role in touch perception as part of haarscheiben which are disklike structures spatially associated with hair follicles that contain arrays of merkel cells and a dermal nerve. 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 vertebratesthey are abundant in highly sensitive skin like that of the fingertips in humans and make synaptic contacts with somatosensory afferent nerve fibers. Though it has been reported that merkel cells are derived. That is the hairless skin found on the palms and fingers the soles of the feet and the lips of humans and other primates.
Merkel discs have high tactile acuity and are very sensitive to skin indentation pressure hair movement and other tactile stimuli. Merkel cells also contain neuroendocrine markers such as chromogranin a and a variety of neurosecretory substances such as neuropeptides. Merkels disks are located superficially in the dermis of skin at the base of the epidermis and lie adjacent to meissners corpuscles and sweat glands. The disklike expansion of the end of a nerve fiber together with a closely associated merkel cell that has a presumed tactile function called also merkels corpuscle learn more about merkels disk.
They adapt slowly to pressure and therefore record the sustained presence of pressure on the skin. In hairy skin merkel nerve endings are clustered into specialized epithelial structures called touch domes or hair disks. Structurally merkel discs are composed of merkel cells mcs and their associated ab afferent nerve endings to form a structure of disc shaped expansion 3 5. Merkels disks are found in the upper layers of skin near the base of the epidermis both in skin that has hair and on glabrous skin.
Medical definition of merkels disk. These receptors respond to indentation of the skin. The dermis is below the epidermis. The structures drawn include the epidermis upper third dermis dermis the deeper layer of the two main tissue layers that make up the skin.
Structurally merkel discs are composed of merkel cells mcs and their associated ab afferent nerve endings to forma structure of disc shaped expansion 3 5. In the below illustration of a cross section of skin normal merkel cells are shown in red and connect to nerves shown in yellow. Merkel receptors are also located in the mammary glands. Merkels disks are densely distributed in the fingertips and lips.
Merkel cells register gentle touch.