In vitro vs in situ development of Purkinje cells.

Analysis of in vitro vs in situ development of Purkinje cells was undertaken in order to compare the transitory morphology of Purkinje cells grown in situ with their differentiation in vitro. Purkinje cells in rotary cultures developed their basic morphological pattern only when the cultures were prepared from 16-day chick embryos, indicating the existence of a critical period during their normal differentiation, which lasted approximately 24 hr between days 14 and 15 embryonic development.