Microscopic study of cell death in the adrenal glands of mouse and chick embryos

Dying cells of both chromaffin and cortical cell types were found scattered throughout the adrenal gland of 14–18 day mouse embryos and 17–19 day chick embryos. The ultrastructural appearance of these dying cells was unlike that of cells undergoing apoptosis and there was no evidence of macrophages or other phagocytes removing these cells from the adrenal. Possible morphogenetic functions of cell death in the developing adrenal are discussed.