This study utilized scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques to observe primary cultures of stromal-vascular (SV) cells derived from postnatal rat inguinal adipose tissue. Cells were grown on collagen-coated, fibronectin-coated, or uncoated glass coverslips. Coverslips were normally fixed in glutaraldehyde, osmium tetroxide, dehydrated, and critical-point-dried. Other coverslips were frozen in isopentane (cooled in LN2) and dried or fixed in Baker's formalin for demonstration of inosine diphosphatase (IDPase) by X-ray microprobe analysis (XRMA). Adipocyte morphologies were similar on all substrates. At 2 days of culture, actin cables were detected extending from developing adipocytes. No difference in actin cable structure, cellular shape, or lipid accumulation was observed among the different substrates. Some stromal cells did not accumulate lipid but proliferated into a multilayer by 9 days in culture. Inosine diphosphatase was detected in the Golgi apparatus of developing adipocytes utilizing the technique of XRMA. This study demonstrates the potential for using SEM and XRMA techniques to define morphological features and cytochemical markers of adipocytes in vitro and the response of primary cultured rat SV cells to other attachment substrates.