Merkel cell

noun

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.

Similar
Merkel-Ranvier cell
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Meanings

nounMerkel cell (plural Merkel cells)

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

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAn 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.

Similar
Merkel-Ranvier cell

Origin

Named after German anatomist Friedrich Sigmund Merkel.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish neuroendokriininen solu, Merkelin solu
  • neuroendokriininen solutype of cell
  • Merkelin solutype of cell
Cite this entry
APA

Merkel cell. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Merkel%20cell

MLA

“Merkel cell.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Merkel%20cell. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Merkel cell,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Merkel%20cell.

Source: Merkel cell on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.