Question

The rigid nature of bone gives it the ability to provide shape and support for the body. However, bone also contains living cells and is richly supplied with blood vessels and nerves. The combining form oste/o means bone. Oste+oid means resembling _____

Answer 1

Osteoid means resembling bone, referring to the unmineralized, organic part of bone tissue that consists of collagen and is capable of forming the rigid structure of bones once mineralized.

Step-by-step explanation:

The combining form oste/o means bone. When combined with the suffix -oid, it forms the word osteoid, which means resembling bone. The definition roots in the characteristics of bone tissue, which is a living, highly vascularized connective tissue that forms the endoskeleton. Bone tissue consists of a rigid extracellular matrix that contains mostly collagen fibers and is mineralized with calcium salts, giving it its hardness.


Bone likewise contains specialized cells like osteocytes and is capable of recovery from injuries due to its rich blood supply. Given that 'osteoid' implies similarity to bone, it embodies the organic part of the bone matrix that has not yet fully mineralized.