Extra-adrenal chromaffin cells grown in tissue culture

1. Extra-adrenal chromaffin cells from adult frogs were grown in tissue culture and their morphology and behaviour observed with both light and electron microscopy. 2. Two types of chromaffin cells were distinguished: Type A cells contain large, electron dense vesicles (2000-6000 A) and are equated to Type I chromaffin cells seen in vivo, i.e. they contain noradrenaline; Type B cells contain smaller vesicles (700-2000 A) which are incompletely filled with an electron dense material and are equated to Type III chromaffin cells seen in vivo, i.e. cells depleted of their catecholamines by stimulation. No cells comparable to Types II and IV cells in vivo were seen. 3. Close associations between the cultured chromaffin cells and sympathetic neurons were observed with the light microscope, but no examples of synaptic structures were seen in the material examined with electron microscopy in this study.