Final answer:
Osteoblasts secrete osteoid, which calcifies to become bone when mineral salts are deposited on it. As this process occurs, osteoblasts differentiate into osteocytes, while new osteoblasts form from osteogenic cells to continue the bone formation process.
Step-by-step explanation:
Osteoblasts are crucial cells in the bone formation process, known as ossification. They secrete an unmineralized connective tissue called osteoid. This osteoid serves as the foundation for new bone tissue. Over time, the osteoid calcifies as mineral salts, primarily calcium and phosphate, deposit onto it, leading to the hardening of the bone matrix. During this process of mineralization, osteoblasts become entrapped in the matrix that they have produced, differentiating into osteocytes, the mature bone cells. Meanwhile, the osteogenic cells present in the surrounding connective tissue differentiate into new osteoblasts to continue bone growth and repair.
Intramembranous ossification and endochondral ossification are two types of bone development processes. While the former is directly from fibrous membranes and responsible for forming flat bones like those of the skull, the latter involves the replacement of hyaline cartilage with bone, a process crucial for the growth of long bones. Throughout an individual's life, bones are continuously remodeled through the complementary actions of osteoblasts, depositing new bone, and osteoclasts, which resorb bone tissue.