What is the difference between osteocytes and osteoblasts?
Osteocytes are cells inside the bone. As osteoblasts mature, they become osteocytes. Osteoblasts turn into osteocytes while the new bone is being formed, and the osteocytes then get surrounded by the new bone.
What is the function of osteoclasts?
Osteoclasts are the only bone resorbing cells. They are essential in healthy bone development and bone remodeling. Dysfunction of osteoclasts results in deficiency of bone turnover and in osteopetrotic-like diseases. Osteoclasts are unique in their function, but closely related to the macrophage family, cells of the immune system.
Where are osteocytes found in bone?
Osteocytes are located inside the bone and have a connection with each other and with other cells with the help of their long branches. Osteocytes are at the perfect position to sense any pressure or mechanical strain in the bone. It is estimated that osteocytes comprise about 95% of the total of cells of the bone.
Are osteoclasts hematopoietic cells?
Osteoclasts are the primary bone resorptive cells and are actually hematopoietic cells, derived from the macrophage/monocyte lineage.

Do osteoclasts mature?
Bone homeostasis is regulated by communication between bone-forming mature osteoblasts (mOBs) and bone-resorptive mature osteoclasts (mOCs).
Is an osteocyte a mature bone cell?
Osteocytes are the most mature and abundant cells in bone tissue and are formed when some osteoblasts become embedded in their secreted osteoid and begin to extend cytoplasmic cell processes to interconnect with each other (Figure 4(b)).
What is the mature bone cells?
Osteoblasts when transformed into osteocytes become mature bone cells. Osteoblasts synthesize and secrete a collagen matrix and calcium salts. When the area surrounding an osteoblast calcifies, the osteoblast becomes trapped and transforms into an osteocyte, which is the most common and mature type of bone cell.
Are osteoblasts immature or mature?
Osteoblasts originate from immature mesenchymal stem cells, which can also differentiate and give rise to chondrocytes, muscle, fat, ligament and tendon cells (Aubin and Triffitt, 2002). Mesenchymal stem cells undergo several transcription steps to form mature osteoblast cells.
Which of the following is true about osteoclasts?
The correct answer is B) Osteoclasts are responsible for laying down osteoid. Osteoclasts are not responsible for laying down osteoid, which is the precursor tissue to bone tissue.
What is the difference between osteocytes osteoblasts and osteoclasts?
Osteocytes are responsible for maintaining the bone mass while osteoblasts are responsible for the formation of new bones. On the other hand, osteoclasts are responsible for the resorption of the bone.
What are the two types of mature bone?
Mature bone: There are two types: compact (lamellar) and spongy (trabecular or cancellous). Compact bone is characterized by the regularity of its collagen fibers. Spongy bone consists of a lattice of branching bony spicules, known as trabeculae, which in some regions are surrounded by bone marrow.
What are mature bone cells in lacunae called quizlet?
Osteocytes= re mature bone cells that occupy spaces (lacunae) that conform to their shape. All of these except for the osteoclasts originate from embryonic connective tissue cells. 1.
What is the function of osteoblasts and osteoclasts?
Osteoblast and osteoclast are the two main cells participating in those progresses (Matsuo and Irie, 2008). Osteoclasts are responsible for aged bone resorption and osteoblasts are responsible for new bone formation (Matsuoka et al., 2014). The resorption and formation is in stable at physiological conditions.
Which bone cells are immature cells?
Bone is specialized connective tissue with a calcified extracellular matrix (bone matrix) and 3 major cell types: the osteoblast, osteocyte, and osteoclast. The first type of bone formed developmentally is primary or woven bone (immature). This immature bone is later replaced by secondary or lamellar bone (mature).
What are immature bone cells?
The osteoblast is a bone-forming cell. It is an immature bone cell.
What is the name of immature bone cells?
Osteoclasts resorptive bone cells.
What are osteocyte cells?
Osteocytes, the cells residing within the bone matrix, make up between 90% to 95% of the cellular component in skeletally mature adult bone tissue.
What is an osteocyte quizlet?
osteocyte. a mature bone cell formed when an osteoblast becomes surrounded by its own matrix and entrapped in a lacunae.
What are the 4 types of bone cells?
Bone is composed of four different cell types; osteoblasts, osteocytes, osteoclasts and bone lining cells. Osteoblasts, bone lining cells and osteoclasts are present on bone surfaces and are derived from local mesenchymal cells called progenitor cells.
What's the definition of osteocyte?
Medical Definition of osteocyte : a cell that is characteristic of adult bone and is isolated in a lacuna of the bone substance.
How do osteoclasts affect bone?
Osteocytes affect bone remodeling by producing regulatory factors to influence the activity of osteoblasts and osteoclasts in response to endocrine signals including the blood level of vitamin D. Osteocytes can sense pressures or cracks in the bone and help direct where osteoclasts will dissolve the bone.
How long do osteocytes live?
Osteocytes are the most abundant cell type in the bone, and they live for about 25 years. Osteocytes function as part of the regulatory network that controls the body’s calcium and phosphate homeostasis.
What are osteocytes?
Osteocytes are cells inside the bone. As osteoblasts mature, they become osteocytes.
What is the role of osteoblasts in bone?
Osteoblasts when transformed into osteocytes become mature bone cells. Osteoblasts synthesize and secrete a collagen matrix and calcium salts. When the area surrounding an osteoblast calcifies, the osteoblast becomes trapped ...
What type of bone cell is most common when the area surrounding an osteoblast calcifies?
When the area surrounding an osteoblast calcifies, the osteoblast becomes trapped and transforms into an osteocyte, which is the most common and mature type of bone cell.
What enzymes do osteoclasts use to break apart bone?
Osteoclasts usually dissolve collagen enzymes. They secrete enzymes and acid that break apart the bone matrix.
How do osteoclasts work?
They travel over the surface of the bone matrix and secrete acids and enzymes to disintegrate it , forming a little pit on the surface of the bone. They are found on the surface of the bone mineral next to the dissolving bone. This increases the surface area for the absorption of minerals. The minerals (in their ionic form) are absorbed into the osteoclasts, which later release them into the tissue fluid located between the cells. From there the ions enter the blood. The process of bone breakdown and mineral uptake by the osteoclasts is known as resorption:
How many osteoclasts are there in the bone?
The occurrence of osteoclasts is quite scarce in the bony tissue. It is estimated that in an area of 1mm of the bony tissue, almost 2 to 3 osteoclasts are found. The structure of osteoclasts is related to their function.
How do osteoclasts affect bone structure?
Therefore, the number and amount of osteoclasts in the bone controls the bone structural integrity . Osteoclast resorbs bones by creating sealed compartments adjacent to the bone surface. Then, osteoclasts secrete acid phosphatases. These enzymes are acidic that functions to degrade the bone.
Why are osteocytes defined?
Initially, osteocytes were defined according to their morphology rather than their function. This was because their function remained unknown for decades. Later, it was recognized that they play many different yet important roles in bone development and maintenance.
What is the most abundant bone cell?
History of Osteocytes. Osteocytes are the most abundant and long-lived bone cells with speculation of living for about 25 years. During the 1950s, Gordan and Ham extensively studied osteocytes. In prior days of osteocyte discovery, it was thought that osteocytes are dormant cells and do not perform any function.
What is the role of osteocytes in mechanical endurance?
The shape and arrangement of osteocytes help in the mechanical functioning of bones. The sensing ability and signal transportation characteristics also play a crucial role in this particular function. This phenomenon of osteocyte mechanical endurance occurs through piezoelectric effect.
How do osteocytes differ from each other?
It was also observed that osteocyte might differ in morphology from one another, by the bone type in which they are present.
When were osteoclasts discovered?
History of Osteoclasts. Albert von Kolliker (Source: Wikimedia) Osteoclasts are distinct bone cells doing bone demolishing work. They were discovered in 1873 by Albert von Kolliker. The resorption properties of osteoclasts, inside the bony tissue, were established in the early days of their discovery.
What are the cells that make bone?
Osteoblasts are the cells responsible for bone formation. They originate from mesenchymal progenitors, which also give rise to chondrocytes, muscle cells, and adipocytes ( Fig. 6.6 ). Commitment of mesenchymal cells to the osteoblastic lineage depends on the specific activation of transcription factors induced by morphogenetic and developmental proteins that carry out the functions of bone matrix protein secretion and bone mineralization. Upon completion of bone matrix formation, some mature osteoblasts remain entrapped in bone as osteocytes, some flatten to cover quiescent bone surfaces as bone-lining cells, and most die by apoptosis.
What is the function of osteoblasts?
The main function of osteoblasts is to synthesize collagen type I and other specialized matrix proteins that serve as a template for the subsequent mineral deposition in the form of hydroxyapatite. Mature osteoblasts actively engaged in this process are recognized by their location on the bone surface and by their morphologic features typical of cells secreting high levels of proteins: cuboidal shape with large nucleus, enlarged Golgi apparatus, and extensive endoplasmic reticulum. Osteoblasts express high levels of alkaline phosphatase and OC, and the level of these proteins in blood reflects the rate of bone formation.
How does endochondral ossification occur?
The cartilage template on which endochondral ossification occurs is produced by the chondrification of other mesenchyme cells , which separate into fibroblasts and chondroblasts. The cartilage template develops through both interstitial and appositional growth. Appositional growth occurs where layer after layer of cartilage is deposited on the perichondrium (the precursor to the periosteum) that lines the outer surface of the model ( Humphries, 2011 ). Multifocal or interstitial growth occurs as the template’s central cells swell and blood vessels form to produce the primary center of ossification contained within a collar of bone. Osteoblasts are released and begin to deposit osteoid (the precursor to mineralized bone) to form the bone shaft or diaphysis ( Steiniche and Hauge, 2003 ). This process continues along the template, while blood vessels form at the end of the model to produce a secondary center of ossification, or epiphysis ( Fig. 1.3 ). The growing end of the shaft (or metaphysis) and epiphyses are separated by a zone of cartilage known as the growth plate (or physis) allowing the bone to increase in length. This plate varies in thickness throughout the growth period, until it is eventually consumed by bone and the epiphyses fuse marking the end of bone growth ( Humphries, 2011 ).
What are the steps of osteoblastogenesis?
The process of osteoblastogenesis can be divided into steps comprising proliferation, extracellular matrix development and maturation, mineralization, and apoptosis. Each stage is characterized by activation of specific transcription factors and genes leading to a succession of osteoblast phenotypic markers (see Fig. 6.6 ). Transcription factors of the helix-loop-helix family (Id, Twist, and Dermo) are expressed in proliferating osteoblast progenitors and are responsible for maintaining the osteoprogenitor population by inhibiting the expression of genes that characterize the osteoblast mature phenotype. Transcription factors of the activating protein family such as c-fos, c-jun, and junD, are expressed during proliferation as well as later in the differentiation pathway and may activate or repress transcription. Runx2 and osterix are essential for establishing the osteoblast phenotype. Their absence from the mouse genome results in lack of skeletal mineralization and perinatal lethality. Runx2 and osterix regulate the expression of other genes that control bone formation and remodeling including OC and RANKL. Runx2 regulates differentiation, survival, and function of osteoblasts by affecting several signaling pathways, including those activated by Wnts, BMPs, integrins, and the PTH receptor.
How does BMP affect osteoblasts?
BMPs induce apoptosis of mature osteoblasts as well as of mesenchymal osteoblast progenitors in interdigital tissues during the development of the hands and feet. Wnt signaling has a profound effect on bone as shown by the high-bone-mass phenotype of mice and humans with activating mutations of low-density lipoprotein receptor–related protein 5 (LRP5), which together with Frizzled proteins are receptors for Wnt ligands. Wnts stimulate differentiation of undifferentiated mesenchymal cells toward the osteoblastic lineage and stimulate differentiation of preosteoblasts. Canonical Wnt signaling in osteoblasts also affects osteoclasts by enhancing the expression of the RANKL decoy receptor OPG, which leads to inhibition of osteoclast development. In addition, Wnt signaling inhibits apoptosis of mature osteoblasts and osteocytes. 36 The increased bone formation exhibited by mice lacking the Wnt antagonist known as secreted frizzled related protein-1 (sFRP-1) is associated with decreased osteoblast and osteocyte apoptosis. The prevalence of osteoblast and osteocyte apoptosis is also decreased in mice expressing the high bone mass–activating mutation of LRP5 (G171V), which exhibit reduced ability to bind the Wnt antagonist sclerostin secreted by osteocytes. Consistent with this, sclerostin induces osteoblast apoptosis in vitro. Moreover, reduction of sclerostin levels by PTH and mechanical loading increases osteoblast number and activity as a result of stimulation of osteoblast differentiation and increased survival. 37,38 Activation of Wnt signaling in vitro by ligands known to activate the so-called canonical as well as noncanonical pathways also prevents apoptosis of osteoblast progenitors and differentiated osteoblasts through a mechanism that involves the Src/ERK and PI3/AKT prosurvival kinases. 39
How do osteoblasts die?
Upon completing the process of bone formation, 60% to 70% of osteoblasts die by apoptosis ; the remainder becomes lining cells or osteocytes. Apoptosis occurs throughout all stages of osteoblast life. 34 The prevalence of osteoblast apoptosis in bone sections can be quantified by measuring fragmented DNA. Apoptosis of cultured osteoblasts has been extensively studied using several methods, 35 including increased activity of initiator or effector caspases, presence of cleaved genomic DNA by TUNEL or ISEL assay, and nuclear fragmentation and chromatin condensation using fluorescent dyes that bind to DNA. Examination of the nuclear morphology of cells transfected with fluorescent proteins containing a nuclear localization sequence has proven a particularly useful tool for studying apoptosis in cells cotransfected with genes of interest. Cell detachment from the substrate, changes in the composition of the plasma membrane, and changes revealing cell shrinkage are also features that have been used to detect and quantify apoptotic cells.
Which adenosine receptors are expressed by bone marrow cells, osteoclasts, and?
All four adenosine receptors are expressed by bone-marrow cells, osteoclasts, and osteoblasts, consistent with the hypothesis that adenosine and its receptors play a role in bone and cartilage homeostasis. A 1 R is critical for osteoclast differentiation and function, indeed agents that antagonize this receptor act as inverse agonists to inhibit osteoclast differentiation. By contrast, activation of the A 2A R inhibits osteoclastogenesis. In the case of osteoblast differentiation, it has been reported that A 2A R plays a critical role in promoting the proliferation of mouse bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells, but that A 2B R is the functionally dominant adenosine receptor involved in osteoblast differentiation. Moreover, adenosine receptors regulate chondrocyte biology and cartilage matrix because the A 2A R and A 3 R are upregulated and their activation ameliorates joint disease. When studied in vivo all four adenosine receptors regulate bone formation in a manner consistent with their in vitro effects: A 1 R blockade or deletion increases bone density; A 2A R activation inhibits inflammatory osteolysis whereas A 2A R blockade leads to excessive bone resorption and osteopenia; and A 2B R deletion or blockade diminishes bone density. Future and ongoing investigations will help to elucidate the intracellular pathways involved in adenosine receptor signaling that regulate bone metabolism. It will also be of interest to determine how well their actions in human cells parallel those observed in mice and other species, and how well these actions translate to new therapies for bone disease.
