Human respiratory mucosa in a nonadhesive stationary organ culture system.

Fragments of human adenoid tissue were transferred to a nonadhesive, stationary organ culture system. The culture period was 40 days. In culture, beating cilia could be observed at the surface of the fragments. Light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy showed that the tissue fragments were covered by a multilayered, pseudostratified, ciliated epithelium. Beneath the epithelium was a basement membrane. At the start of the culture period, the central parts of the fragments were dominated by lymphocytes. These lymphocytes gradually disappeared and were replaced by a collagen-containing stroma with scattered fibroblasts. The tissue fragments can be used as an organ culture model for normal respiratory mucosa.