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[Histology](https://durgical.com/en/histology/) · [Skin and breast](https://durgical.com/en/histology/#a-integument)

# Keratinocytes, melanocytes, Langerhans and Merkel cells

- Cell

The epidermis is mostly keratin-making cells, helped by pigment cells, immune sentinel cells and touch cells.

Updated 2026-11-01

**See it in 3D:** [Skin](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/skin/)

## Key points

- Keratinocytes are the vast majority of epidermal cells and are linked by desmosomes.
- Melanocytes: basal layer, neural crest origin, pass melanosomes to keratinocytes; skin colour depends on melanin activity, not melanocyte number.
- Oculocutaneous albinism: normal number of melanocytes but little or no melanin (often a tyrosinase defect).
- Langerhans cells: marrow-derived dendritic cells in the spinosum; Birbeck granules, CD1a and langerin (CD207).
- Merkel cells: basal layer, touch receptors linked to nerve endings; origin of Merkel cell carcinoma.
- Melanocytes show as clear-haloed cells in the basal layer on H&E; S100, SOX10 and Melan-A stain them.

## What it is

Keratinocytes are the main cell of the epidermis; they divide in the basal layer and build the keratin barrier. Melanocytes in the basal layer make melanin and pass it to keratinocytes to shield their nuclei from UV light. Langerhans cells are dendritic cells that capture antigens in the spinosum, and Merkel cells in the basal layer sense light touch with their nerve endings.

## The four cells of the epidermis

| Cell | Where | How to recognise it | Job |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Keratinocyte | All layers | Joined by desmosomes; flattens and loses its nucleus as it rises | Makes keratin and the lipid barrier |
| Melanocyte | Stratum basale | Pale cell with a clear halo and dendrites between keratinocytes | Makes melanin and transfers it to keratinocytes |
| Langerhans cell | Mainly stratum spinosum | Hard to see on H&E; CD1a and langerin positive; Birbeck granules on EM | Captures antigen and carries it to lymph nodes |
| Merkel cell | Stratum basale | Hard to see on H&E; neuroendocrine granules, keratin 20 positive | Light touch receptor with a sensory nerve ending |

## Markers

- S100
- SOX10
- Melan-A
- HMB-45
- CD1a
- Langerin (CD207)
- CK20 (Merkel)

## Clinical notes

- Melanoma comes from melanocytes; squamous cell and basal cell carcinoma come from keratinocytes.
- Vitiligo destroys melanocytes; albinism keeps them but they make little pigment.
- Langerhans cell histiocytosis is a clonal proliferation of Langerhans-type cells.
- Contact dermatitis is a type IV reaction started by Langerhans cells presenting the hapten.

## Memory aid

The epidermis is a building: Keratinocytes are the bricks, Melanocytes paint the umbrella, Langerhans keeps watch at the door and Merkel answers the doorbell (touch).

## Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

## In which layer do melanocytes live, and to which cell do they hand their pigment?

In the stratum basale; they pass melanosomes through their dendrites to neighbouring keratinocytes, where melanin caps the nucleus.

## Why do people of different skin colours have similar melanocyte numbers?

Colour depends on how much melanin is made and how melanosomes are packaged and spread, not on the number of melanocytes.

## Which epidermal cell carries Birbeck granules and what is its job?

The Langerhans cell, a dendritic cell that captures antigen in the epidermis and moves to lymph nodes to present it to T cells.

## What is the defect in oculocutaneous albinism?

Melanocytes are present in normal number but make little or no melanin, often because tyrosinase does not work.

[Add to my cards (4)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/histology/keratinocytes-melanocytes-langerhans-and-merkel-cells/)

## See it in 3D

The structures of Durgical's 3D anatomy where it is found.

- [Skin](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/skin/)

## Related

- [Skin: epidermis layers, dermis, hypodermis](https://durgical.com/en/histology/skin-epidermis-layers-dermis-hypodermis/)
- [Hair follicles, sebaceous and sweat glands, nails](https://durgical.com/en/histology/hair-follicles-sebaceous-and-sweat-glands-nails/)
- [Cell junctions: tight, adherens, desmosomes, gap, hemidesmosomes](https://durgical.com/en/histology/cell-junctions-tight-adherens-desmosomes-gap-hemidesmosomes/)
- [Microscopy and stains: H&E, PAS, trichrome, silver, immunohistochemistry](https://durgical.com/en/histology/microscopy-and-stains-h-y-e-pas-trichrome-silver-immunohistochemistry/)

## Related conditions

- [Oculocutaneous albinism](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/oculocutaneous-albinism/)

[← All of histology](https://durgical.com/en/histology/)

Educational content on normal microscopic structure and its clinical relevance; no substitute for studying slides or for a health professional's advice.

Sources: [5.1 Layers of the Skin - Anatomy and Physiology 2e | OpenStax](https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/5-1-layers-of-the-skin) (OpenStax, Rice University, 2022); [Anatomy of the Skin](https://training.seer.cancer.gov/melanoma/anatomy/) (National Cancer Institute, SEER Training Modules, 2024).

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Representative model, for educational purposes only.

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Source: https://durgical.com/en/histology/keratinocytes-melanocytes-langerhans-and-merkel-cells/
License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/histology/keratinocytes-melanocytes-langerhans-and-merkel-cells/