gastric chief cell gastric chief cell a gastric chief cell (or peptic cell, or gastric zymogenic cell) is a type of gastric gland cell that releases pepsinogen and gastric lipase. it is the cell responsible for secretion of chymosin in ruminant animals. the cell stains basophilic upon h&e staining due to the large proportion of rough endoplasmic reticulum in its cytoplasm. gastric chief cells are generally located deep in the mucosal layer of the stomach lining, in the fundus and body of the stomach. chief cellhuman chief cells near tip of red pointerdetailspart ofstomachsystemdigestive systemidentifierslatinexocrinocytus principalismeshd019872thh3.04.02.1.00031 fma62902anatomical terminology chief cells release the zymogen (enzyme precursor) pepsinogen when stimulated by a variety of factors including cholinergic activity from the vagus nerve and acidic condition in the stomach. gastrin and secretin may also act as secretagogues. it works in conjunction with the parietal cell, which releases gastric acid, converting the pepsinogen into pepsin. nomenclature the terms chief cell and zymogenic cell are often used without the word "gastric" to name this type of cell. however, those terms can also be used to describe other cell types (for example, parathyroid chief cells). chief cells are also known as peptic cells.