Fine structure of Merkel corpuscles in the lingual mucosa of Japanese quail, Coturnix coturnix japonica.
By electron microscopy, these corpuscles were found exclusively in the connective tissue just beneath the dorsal epithelium near the lateral margin of the tongue. Each consisted of 4-8 Merkel cells and flattened nerve terminals arranged alternately. The Merkel cell was characterized by dense-cored granules, with a diameter ranging from 120 to 180 nm, throughout the cytoplasm. The functional significance of the avian Merkel cell, i.e. a mechanoreceptor cell or a trophic cell with the axon, still remains enigmatic, as is the case with Merkel cells of other vertebrates.
Toyoshima
K
K
Department of Oral Anatomy, Kyushu Dental College, Kitakyushu, Japan.
Seta
Y
Y
Shimamura
A
A
D000818:Animals; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000294:innervation / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003370:Coturnix / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000294:innervation* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014059:Tongue / Q000294:innervation* / Q000648:ultrastructure