Merkel cell
You don't need to be Editor-In-Chief to add or edit content to WikiDoc. You can begin to add to or edit text on this WikiDoc page by clicking on the edit button at the top of this page. Next enter or edit the information that you would like to appear here. Once you are done editing, scroll down and click the Save page button at the bottom of the page.
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 19th century anatomist Friedrich Sigmund Merkel who was the first to fully describe them in 1872.
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 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
The exact function of Merkel cells is unclear. F.S. Merkel referred to them as Tastzellen or "touch cells", although their function has been disputed ever since. Merkel cells are sometimes considered APUD cells because they contain dense core granules, and thus may have a neuroendocrine function.
Developmental origin
Merkel cells are derived from cells of the neural crest.
See also
External links
de:Merkel-ZelleAcknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
