| Merkel's tactile disk | A specialised tactile sensory nerve ending in the epidermis, characterised by a terminal cuplike expansion of an intraepidermal axon in contact with the base of a single modified keratinocyte. Synonym: meniscus tactus, Merkel's corpuscle, Merkel's tactile cell, Merkel's tactile disk, tactile disk. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| Merkel's tactile cell | A specialised tactile sensory nerve ending in the epidermis, characterised by a terminal cuplike expansion of an intraepidermal axon in contact with the base of a single modified keratinocyte. Synonym: meniscus tactus, Merkel's corpuscle, Merkel's tactile cell, Merkel's tactile disk, tactile disk. (05 Mar 2000) |
| tactile disk | A specialised tactile sensory nerve ending in the epidermis, characterised by a terminal cuplike expansion of an intraepidermal axon in contact with the base of a single modified keratinocyte. Synonym: meniscus tactus, Merkel's corpuscle, Merkel's tactile cell, Merkel's tactile disk, tactile disk. (05 Mar 2000) |
| carcinoma, merkel cell | A carcinoma arising from merkel cells located in the basal layer of the epidermis and occurring most commonly as a primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin. Merkel cells are tactile cells of neuroectodermal origin and histologically show neurosecretory granules. The skin of the head and neck are a common site of merkel cell carcinoma, occurring generally in elderly patients. (12 Dec 1998) |
| merkel cells | Nondendritic, nonkeratinocytic epithelial clear cells normally found in the epidermis and dermis of mammals and humans. They are believed to be of neuroendocrine origin and function as a specific slowly adapting sensory touch receptor. The merkel cell was first described by friedrich sigmund merkel, german anatomist in 1875. (12 Dec 1998) |
| Merkel cell tumour | A rare malignant cutaneous tumour seen in sun-exposed skin of elderly patients composed of dermal nodules of small round cells with scanty cytoplasm in a trabecular pattern; the tumour cells contain cytoplasmic dense core granules resembling neurosecretory granules seen in Merkel cells. Synonym: primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin, trabecular carcinoma. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Merkel, Friedrich | <person> German anatomist and physiologist, 1845-1919. See: Merkel cell tumour, Merkel's corpuscle, Merkel's tactile cell, Merkel's tactile disk. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Merkel, Friedrich Sigmund | <person> Was Professor of Anatomy successively at Rostock, Konigsberg and Gottingen. Merkel's Corpuscles - one form of sensory "tactile" nerve ending. Lived: 1845-1919. B. Nuremburg, Apr 5th, 1845, d. May 28th, 1919. (05 Dec 1998) |
| Merkel, Karl | <person> German anatomist and laryngologist, 1812-1876. See: Merkel's filtrum ventriculi, Merkel's fossa, Merkel's muscle. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Merkel's corpuscle | A specialised tactile sensory nerve ending in the epidermis, characterised by a terminal cuplike expansion of an intraepidermal axon in contact with the base of a single modified keratinocyte. Synonym: meniscus tactus, Merkel's corpuscle, Merkel's tactile cell, Merkel's tactile disk, tactile disk. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Merkel's filtrum ventriculi | A groove between the two prominences, in each lateral wall of the vestibule of the larynx, formed by the cuneiform and the arytenoid cartilages. Synonym: Merkel's filtrum ventriculi. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Merkel's fossa | A groove in the posterolateral wall of the vestibule of the larynx between the corniculate and cuneiform cartilages. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Merkel's muscle | <anatomy> A fasciculus from the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle inserted into the inferior horn of the thyroid cartilage. Synonym: musculus ceratocricoideus, Merkel's muscle. (05 Mar 2000) |
| tactile | Of or pertaining to the organs, or the sense, of touch; perceiving, or perceptible, by the touch; capable of being touched; as, tactile corpuscles; tactile sensations. "Tactile sweets." . "Tactile qualities." . <physiology> Tactile sense, the sense of touch, or pressure sense. See Touch. "The delicacy of the tactile sense varies on different parts of the skin; it is geatest on the forehead, temples and back of the forearm." (H. N. Martin) Origin: L. Tactilis, fr. Tangere, tactum, to touch: cf. F. Tactile. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| tactile agnosia | The inability to recognise objects by touch, in the presence of intact cutaneous and proprioceptive hand sensation; caused by lesion in the contralateral parietal lobe. Synonym: astereognosis, stereoagnosis, stereoanesthesia. (05 Mar 2000) |