The Ultrastructure of the Human Haarscheibe and Merkel Cell

Haarscheiben of human abdominal skin have been studied electron microscopically and found to be similar in structure to those of other mammals, with prominent Merkel cell-neurite complexes at the dermal-epidermal junction. Merkel cells are modified epidermal cells, containing distinctive osmiophilic granules. Applied to the base of each Merkel cell is a meniscoid neural terminal filled with mitochondria and glycogen. The terminals are derived from large myelinated sensory fibers