Definition
noun
A single sensory nerve ending characterized by a terminal cuplike, expanded tip that is in contact with the base of a single specialized epithelial cell in the epidermis. It functions by receiving touch, pressure, and texture, and relaying the information to the brain.
Supplement
This nerve ending is a mechanoreceptor found in the skin and mucosa of the vertebrates and in the dermis of birds.
Synonym(s):
- Merkel nerve ending
- tactile meniscus
- meniscus tactus
- Merkel’s tactile disk
- tactile disk
- Merkel cell-neurite complex
See also:
