Final answer:
Osteocalcin is the glucoprotein responsible for transporting essential elements like hormones, ions, and metabolites to and from bone cells, and is involved in the regulation of the bone matrix.
Step-by-step explanation:
The glucoprotein thought to transport essential elements such as hormones, ions, and other metabolites to and from bone cells is osteocalcin. Osteocalcin provides calcium, phosphate, and other minerals critical for bone matrix; it transports hormones that regulate the buildup and absorption of the bone matrix, including growth hormone (somatotropin), thyroid hormone, calcitonins, and parathyroid hormone.
Osteoblasts, which are responsible for the deposition of new bone matrix, secrete osteocalcin as part of this process. Human serum albumin also plays a crucial role in transporting hormones and fatty acids in the blood plasma but is not the primary glucoprotein for transporting elements to bone cells.