What is an osteocyte?

• A. Inactive bone cell
• B. Bone-forming cell
• C. Bone-destroying cell
• D. Cartilage cell

Answer: (A)

An osteocyte is a mature bone cell embedded in the mineralized bone matrix, derived from an osteoblast that becomes trapped in a lacuna. Its main job is to maintain the surrounding bone tissue and coordinate remodeling in response to mechanical load, communicating with other bone cells through long extensions in canaliculi. It is not responsible for forming new bone—That role belongs to osteoblasts—and it is not responsible for destroying bone—That’s the job of osteoclasts. It’s also not a cartilage cell. Because osteocytes focus on maintenance and signaling rather than new bone formation or resorption, they’re described as relatively inactive compared with the actively building or breaking down cells.