Final answer:
The correct answer is C) Osteoblasts, osteocytes. Osteoblasts secrete osteoid to form new bone and upon being entrapped in the calcified matrix they differentiate into osteocytes, the mature bone cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
After osteoblasts (bone-forming cells) become completely surrounded by bone matrix, they are called osteocytes (mature bone cells). The correct answer to the question is C) Osteoblasts, osteocytes.
Osteoblasts are responsible for the formation of new bone by secreting osteoid, which is the uncalcified matrix. This osteoid calcifies within a few days, and mineral salts are deposited onto it, leading to the entrapment of osteoblasts within this hardened matrix. Once entrapped, these osteoblasts differentiate and change their structure and function to become osteocytes, which are the main cells in mature bony connective tissue and cannot divide.
Osteocytes maintain the mineral concentration of the matrix via the secretion of enzymes and are located in spaces called lacunae within the bone tissue. They connect with each other and receive nutrients through cytoplasmic extensions that run through tiny channels called canaliculi. Osteoprogenitor cells in the surrounding connective tissue continue to differentiate into new osteoblasts, ensuring ongoing bone growth and remodeling.