Lead is an environmental toxicant that causes a marked deficit in cognative development in infants and children. Damage to the hippocampus has been linked to the lead-induced deficit in the learning process. The present study examined the effects of lead on the development of hippocampal neurons in vitro. Hippocampal neurons were incubated with various concentrations in lead acetate (1nM to 30 nM) for 72 hrs from 4 h after plating, and the percentage of living neurons bearing neurites, neurite outgrowth and migration of multipolar neurons in culture were determined.