13 - Bone Cell Biology Flashcards
(45 cards)
What are the four functions of bone?
- Infrastructure
- Bone marrow
- Reservoir of Ca2+ and phosphate
- Specialized connective: realize that bone is calcified ECM
What are the components of bone as connective tissue (CT)?
Cells:
- Osteoblasts
- Osteocytes
- Osteoclasts
Matrix
Osteoclasts are activated by ________ and inhibitied by ________.
Osteoclasts are activated by PTH (parathyroid) causing release of calcium, and inhibited by calcitonin (thyroid).
What percentage of bone is inorganic and what are the components? Why is this significant?
70% is inorganic
Calcium and phosphorous - hydroxyapatite (this is why bone is hard)
99% of the body’s calcium is stored in bone
What percentage of bone is organic (osteoid) and what are the components?
~30%
Type 1 collagen confers acid(eosin)ophilia (stains red)
Proteoglycans: less than in cartilage
Glycoproteins: promote hydroxyapatite - osteocalcin is a bone specific glycoprotein that promotes mineralization
How does bone differ from hyaline cartilage based on mineral, water, collagen, and neuronal/vascular structures?
Mineral: Bone 70%, HC none
Water: Bone 25%, HC 75%
Collagen: Bone type I, HC type II
Neuronal and vascular structures: Bone present, HC none

What are osteoblasts and where do they come from?
Specialized fibroblasts.
Differentiate from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the presence of growth factors such as bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs)
What do groups of osteoblasts make? How does bone formation occur?
Osteoid - type I collagen and glycoproteins (single osteoblasts can’t do this).
Bone formation: completed by deposition of Ca2+ in the osteoid (note, without hydroxyapatite there’s no weight bearing).

Knockout of what prevents bone development?
Runx2 (aka Cbfa1), the bone ‘master gene’
Note: Runx2 and osteocalcin are osteoblast-speficic and differentiate osteoblasts from fibroblasts.

Where are osteocytes located? How much space do they take up and what do they bind to?
- Occupy lacunae between lamellae of bone matrix; there’s one osteocyte in each lacuna (cartilage has more than one per lacunae).
- Osteocytes make up 90% of all bone cells.
- Cytoplasmic “dendrites” penetrate the matrix and bind to other osteocytes via gap junctions.

What is the function of osteocytes? How long do they live?
Mechano-sensation (cell to cell signals) - regulating bone remodeling
Secrete sclerostin, which inhibits Wnt signaling in osteoblasts - stopping bone growth.
Long lived - T1/2 = 25 years
What are the cytoplasmic processes of osteocytes called?
Canaliculi.

What is the function of osteoclasts? How do they develop?
Destroy bone matrix for remodeling.
Multinuclear cells that form from macrophage-like cells that fuse together.
Where are osteoclasts located?
Reside in hollowed-out areas of matrix termed “Howship’s lacunae”.
Have ruffled borders that attach ECM, forming a microenvironment for bone resorption.

How are osteoclasts regulated by hormones? Describe the biochemistry invovled in bone resorption.
Calcitonin from the thyroid inhibits osteoclasts, while PTH from the parathyroid activated osteoclasts.
- Lysosomes in osteoclasts secrete cathepsin-K creating a microenvironment that destroys the bony matrix
- CO2 > H2CO3 (carbonic acid) > HCO3- (bicarb) + H+
- This creates an environment optimized for bone resorption

What is this a picture of?

An osteoclast located in howship’s lacuna with 3-4 nuclei (normal, may have 7-10)
An osteoblast nearby (these are smaller).

What is the structure of bone?
Bone is lined by outer and inner layers of connective tissue respectively termed periosteum and endosteum.

Where are osteoblasts, osteocytes, and osteoclasts located in bone?
Osteoblasts are located in the periosteum, with smaller numbers in the endosteum
Osteocytes are in the lacunae of the bony matrix, which is between the periosteum and the and endosteum
Osteoclasts are mostly attached to the bony matrix on the endosteal side

Describe compact vs spongy bone? What percentage of long bone does each makeup?
Compact (aka cortical bone) is dense with no cavitation and makes up 80% of long bone.
Spongy (aka cancellous aka trabecular bone) is cavitated and makes up 20% of lone bone.

What are flat bones? What is an example?
2 plates of compact bone surrounding diplöe of spongy bone.
Exp: calvaria of the skill
What are the components of long bones?
Diaphysis (shaft): compact, with spongy bone lining marrow
Epiphyses (ends): caps of compact bone around spongy bone
Long bones are both ______ and ______.
Cortical and trabecular.
Trabecular bone is not as organized as cortical bone.
What is an osteon in a long bone? What other structures are present?
Osteon: cylinder with concentric lamellae = the unit of bone structure
Lamellae have lacunnae that:
- harbor osteocytes
- are connected via canaliculi

The innermost lamella of long bones surround what?
The Haversian canal - which contains blood vessels, nerves, and lymphatics and travel lengthwise in the bone.
Haversion canals are connectes by Volkmann’s canals which carry the same structures but travel horizontally.






