Merkel's nerve endings

Alternative eponyms

Related people

The tactile nerve endings in the skin.

Description

The tactile nerve endings in the skin. They are mechanoreceptors found in the skin and mucosa of vertebrates that provide touch information to the brain. In all vertebrates, Merkel nerve endings are located in the basal layer of the epidermis, apart from birds, where they are located in the dermis.

Bibliography

  • F. S. Merkel:
    Tastzellen und Tastkörperchen bei den Hausthieren und beim Menschen.
    Archiv für mikroskopische Anatomie, 1875, 11: 636-652.

  • Über die Endigungen der sensiblen Nerven in der Haut der Wirbelthiere.
    Rostock, 1880.

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