35S-labelled heparins were recovered from adipose tissue, hearts, lungs, peritoneal cavities and skins of rats given H2(35)SO4. Their purification involved incubation with Pronase, precipitation with cetylpyridinium chloride in 1.0 M-NaCl, gradient elution from DEAE-Sephacel and incubation with chondroitinase ABC. Each product was divided into proteoglycan and "depolymerization products' fractions by gel filtration on Bio-Gel A-15m. Heparin chains were released from a portion of each proteoglycan fraction by beta-elimination with NaOH. Proteoglycans, chains and depolymerization products were separated by gradient elution from a column of antithrombin-agarose into fractions with no affinity, low affinity and high affinity for antithrombin. The relative sizes of the products were determined by gel filtration on columns of Bio-Gel A-50m, A-15m, A-1.5m and A-0.5m. Skin was the major source of heparin and contained the largest proteoglycans and the lowest proportion of depolymerization products. Lungs contained the smallest proteoglycans, the smallest depolymerization products and the highest proportion of depolymerization products. The highest proportions of proteoglycans, chains and depolymerization products with high affinity for antithrombin were found in adipose tissue. The lowest proportions of each of these fractions were found in the peritoneal cavity. The data suggest that there was relatively little biosynthesis of sites with high affinity for antithrombin in peritoneal-cavity mast cells and that heparin catabolism was most active in lungs. Each source of heparin was unique with respect to both biosynthesis and subsequent breakdown of its proteoglycans.