Explain bone remodeling
Explain how two kinds of bone cells constantly build and break down bone to keep the skeleton healthy.
- Bone is living tissue: Bone is not a dead rock; it has living cells. You need this before bone cells building and breaking it make sense.
- Two opposite processes can balance: Remodeling is a balance of building and removing. Knowing that two opposite actions can cancel out frames the whole idea.
Prerequisites are inferred: pending teacher review.
Re-learn the skill with worked practice and clear examples.
Remodeling is a balance between two cell types: one builds bone by adding matrix, and the other breaks bone down by removing matrix.
| Cell | Job in remodeling |
|---|---|
| Builds new bone (adds matrix) | osteoblast |
| Breaks down bone (removes matrix) | osteoclast |
During bone remodeling, one cell type deposits new bone matrix and another removes old bone matrix. Which choice correctly matches each cell to its job?
Reviewed- A.Osteoblasts remove bone; osteoclasts build bone
- B.Osteoblasts build bone; osteoclasts remove bone
- C.Both cell types build bone
- D.Both cell types remove bone
Show the worked solution ▾
Answer: B. Osteoblasts build bone; osteoclasts remove bone
- Step 1: Match jobs to cells: One cell deposits matrix (builds) and one resorbs matrix (removes); they are not the same.
- Step 2: Attach the names: The builder is the osteoblast; the remover is the osteoclast.
Why it's right: Osteoblasts deposit new matrix (build) and osteoclasts resorb matrix (remove), so each name is matched to the right job.
- A: This swaps the two: osteoblasts build and osteoclasts remove.
- C: Only one cell type builds; the other removes.
- D: Only one cell type removes; the other builds.
Aligned to HBS: bone cells in remodeling · reading level ~grade 9
- A bone-density report compares how active the builders and removers are to explain why a patient is gaining or losing bone.
Fill these in as you work through the lesson.
- Bone remodeling (the constant rebuild of the skeleton):
- Osteoblast (one of the two bone-cell types; begins with osteo-):
- Osteoclast (a bone cell that does the opposite job):
- Bone matrix (the hard material the cells add or remove):
In bone remodeling, add new bone matrix while break old bone down. When the two are , bone mass stays steady.
- Which cell adds new bone and which cell removes old bone?
- What does it mean to say bone is 'living' tissue?
- What happens to bone mass if breakdown happens faster than building?
A person's bone is losing mass over a year. Explain which of the two cell types is winning the balance, and what that does to the strength of the bone.