Multifunctional Merkel Cells: Their Roles in Electromagnetic Reception, Fingerprint Formation, Reiki, Epigenetic Inheritance, and Hair Form

The review from 2010 suggests that Merkel cells, which are excitable cells found in the skin and some mucosa, may have several previously unrecognized functions. These include involvement in mammalian magnetoreception, where melanosomes within Merkel cells might act as biological magnetite to influence ion channels and transmit signals to the brain; a role in fingerprint formation, where they may control keratinocyte proliferation and the formation of epidermal ridges; a bidirectional brain-Merkel cell connection that could underlie biofield modalities like Reiki; a contribution to epigenetic inheritance, where they might transfer environmental information to oocytes; and determining hair form through paracrine secretions at the hair follicle bulge. The review posits that these multifunctional cells could bridge the gap between orthodox and complementary medicine.