A 3-year-old girl is brought to her pediatrician for a well child checkup. She has met all of the appropriate developmental milestones. Her height corresponds to the 60^th percentile. Osteoblasts near the growth plates of her long bones secrete matrix material, and when they become trapped in the ossified matrix, they become known as osteocytes. These osteocytes remain connected to each other by:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Osteocytes have long intracanalicular processes that extend through the ossified bone matrix.  These cytoplasmic processes send signals to and exchange nutrients and waste products with the osteocytes within neighboring lamellae via gap junctions.  Osteocytes can sense mechanical stresses and send signals to modulate the activity of surface osteoblasts, thereby helping to regulate bony remodeling.

A 3-Year-Old Girl Is Brought to Her Pediatrician for a Well