Quick Facts
The lamellar corpuscle is a type of large, ovoid, rapidly adapting, encapsulated nerve ending sensitive to pressure, touch, and vibration. The most complicated of the nerve endings, its core contains the nonmyelinated nerve terminal and its Schwann cells, surrounded by concentric layers of modified fibroblasts, in cross-section resembling a sliced onion. It is found in the skin and deeper tissues, particularly in the palms, soles, digits of hands and feet, joints, external genitalia, and breasts (Dorland, 2011).
Related parts of the anatomy
Structure/Morphology
Lamellar corpuscles, or Pacinian corpuscles, are the largest of the encapsulated sensory receptors. They are rapid responding mechanoreceptors. The corpuscles are more numerous in the palmar and plantar skin, but are also found in the arm, neck and genitalia.
The lamellar corpuscles are found deep in the reticular layer of the dermis and the hypodermis. They are usually oval and can measure up to 2 mm in length. The capsule is formed by about 30 concentrically arranged layers of flat cells. In the center of the lamellae, or the core, is the unmyelinated axon (Standring, 2016).
Function
Lamellar corpuscles are sensitive to high-frequency vibrations, such as grasping or releasing an object.
References
Dorland, W. (2011) Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary. 32nd edn. Philadelphia, USA: Elsevier Saunders.
Standring, S. (2016) Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. Gray's Anatomy Series: Elsevier Limited.
