Merkel cell

English

Etymology

Named after German anatomist Friedrich Sigmund Merkel.

Noun

Merkel cell (plural Merkel cells)

1. An oval receptor cell having synaptic contacts with somatosensory afferents, found in the skin of vertebrates and associated with the sense of light touch discrimination of shapes and textures.

Synonyms

• Merkel-Ranvier cell

Translations

type of cell

• Finnish: neuroendokriininen solu, Merkelin solu