noun
- Plural of chromaffin; cells that stain with chromium salts and secrete catecholamines (epinephrine and norepinephrine), found mainly in the adrenal medulla and sympathetic nervous system.
Usage: technical; biology/medicine
Examples
- Chromaffins in the adrenal medulla release hormones in response to stress.
- The tumor was composed of abnormal chromaffins that produced excessive catecholamines.
- Researchers studied how chromaffins respond to neural stimulation.
- Chromaffins are derived from neural crest tissue during embryonic development.
- The patient's pheochromocytoma arose from chromaffins in the adrenal gland.