Final answer:
Osteoblasts are bone cells that produce new bone, and as the matrix hardens, they become osteocytes. Osteocytes are the main cells found in mature bone, and they help maintain the mineral concentration of the matrix and communicate with other bone cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
Osteoblasts are bone cells that synthesize and secrete the collagen matrix and calcium salts in order to form new bone. As the secreted matrix hardens, the osteoblasts become trapped within it and transform into osteocytes, which are the primary cells of mature bone. Each osteocyte is surrounded by bone tissue in a space called a lacuna. Osteocytes maintain the mineral concentration of the matrix and can communicate with other bone cells through long cytoplasmic processes called canaliculi.
Osteoblasts are specialized bone cells responsible for the synthesis of bone tissue. They operate mainly in the periosteum and endosteum, creating new bone by secreting a collagen matrix and calcium salts. When the secreted matrix calcifies, entrapping the osteoblasts, they transform into osteocytes, which are the primary cells of mature bone. Each osteocyte resides in a space known as a lacuna and maintains the bone's mineral concentration through enzyme secretion. These cells communicate through cytoplasmic processes extending through channels called canaliculi. They are essential in bone remodeling and regulation.