1.1.1.4　Merkel cells

Merkel cells are tactile sensory cells located at the stratum basale of the epidermis.They are mostly found in the palms，plantar，oral cavity and genital mucosa，nail bed，and hair follicle funnel.Merkel cells have short finger-like protrusions and are connected to the surrounding keratinocytes by desmosomes.They are often fixed to the basement membrane and do not migrate upward with keratinocytes.Merkel cells cannot be identified under the optical microscope.In mammalian hairy skin，Merkel cells uniquely clusters into a discoidshape，named as hairy disc or Merkel disc.In the silver-stained section，there is a meniscuslike nerve ending close to the base of each Merkel cell，called the Merkel disc，and a sensory nerve fiber terminates at the disc.Merkel cells are denser in sensitive areas（e.g.，finger tips and nose tips）where nerve fibers near the epidermis lose myelin sheaths and their flat discshaped axon ends combine with the base surface of Michael cells to form a Merkel cell-neurite complex，which may have a non-neural terminal-mediated sensory effect.(https://www.daowen.com)