Bone Cells
Bone Cells: The Secret to Bone Development
We normally imagine bone growth only among kids. Once we reach adulthood, it is difficult to imagine that bones still grow especially since bones are the hardest parts of our bodies. Bones however, are also made of living tissue. They continue to develop and change. This is made possible by bone cells.
Different sources do not all agree on the number of kinds of cells of the bone. Some say there are five kinds. Others however cite that the two other cells that are commonly mentioned are part of the one major cell. In any case, the three major bone cells are:
Osteoblasts
These cells come from the osteoprogenitor cell which is cited in some sources as a separate kind of bone cell. The osteoprogentior cell however is really part of the outer membrane covering the bone known as the periosteum. Through the process of osteogenesis, osteoblast bone cells are formed. These cells in turn are responsible for generating osteoids which are really proteins that are in charge of forming new bone tissue. Osteoids are constantly produced throughout a person’s life which means that the bone never stops renewing itself.
Once one set of osteoblast bone cells have done their part, they take on a different role. They begin to line the bone and are then called lining cells. This is another cell that others may regard as a separate kind of bone cell. This lining made of old osteoblast cells takes charge of managing the calcium traffic to and from the bone.
Bone Cells - Osteocytes
Osteocytes
Once osteoblast bone cells begin the formation of new bone, some osteoblasts become surrounded and trapped by the new bone growth. These cells then become known as osteocytes. Although they are surrounded by bone material, they form a network amongst themselves. They continue to perform useful functions by regulating the exit of calcium and by producing enzymes that maintain bone fitness. Osteocytes are considered mature cells and separate from the bone-building osteoblasts. They occupy a particular section of the bone known as the lacuna.
Osteoclasts
These cells are the main agents in the process known as bone resorption. In resorption, old bone tissues are taken out. Osteoclasts are the ones responsible for minutely breaking down old bones to make way for the formation of new bone tissues by osteoblasts.
Osteoclasts share similar origins from white blood cells. They form in the bone marrow when two different cells with different nuclei fuse. These bone cells are crucial because without resorption, there will be no space for the new cells that have been generated.
It is obvious that bone cells by themselves perform crucial roles. Modern science however has found additional important roles which some of these cells may perform. Osteoblasts for example have been identified by researchers as cells that might possibly play an important role in hormone replacement therapy for post menopausal women. As osteoblasts form, a substance that closely resembles estrogen is formed. This substance might make hormone replacement therapy safer for women.
The importance of bone cells truly cannot be underestimated. They are the real secrets to continued bone health and development.
