noun
- a mature bone cell that maintains bone tissue and is embedded within the bone matrix
Usage: anatomy; biology
Examples
- Osteocytes are the most abundant cells in mature bone tissue.
- Each osteocyte sits in a small cavity called a lacuna.
- The researcher studied how osteocytes communicate with each other through tiny channels.
- Osteocytes help regulate calcium levels in the blood.
- When bone is damaged, osteocytes can signal for repair processes to begin.
- The microscope revealed the star-shaped osteocytes within the bone sample.