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Hormones and Bone Tissue01:17

Hormones and Bone Tissue

The endocrine system produces and secretes hormones, which interact with the skeletal system. These hormones control bone growth, maintain bone once it is formed, and remodel it.
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
Skeleton and Calcium Homeostasis01:21

Skeleton and Calcium Homeostasis

Calcium is not only the most abundant mineral in bone but also the most abundant mineral in the human body. Calcium ions are needed for bone mineralization, tooth health, heart rate regulation and strength of contraction, blood coagulation, the contraction of smooth and skeletal muscle cells, and the regulation of nerve impulse conduction. The average calcium level in the blood is about 10 mg/dL. When the body cannot maintain this level, a person will experience hypo or hypercalcemia.
Osteoclasts in Bone Remodeling01:31

Osteoclasts in Bone Remodeling

Osteoclasts are cells responsible for bone resorption and remodeling. They originate from hematopoietic progenitor cells present in the bone marrow. Numerous progenitor cells fuse to form multinucleated cells, each with 10-20 nuclei. A single osteoclast has a diameter of 150 to 200 µM. These cells have ruffled borders that break down the underlying bone tissue and release minerals such as calcium into the blood in bone resorption. Osteoclasts cling to bones with their ruffled edges during bone...
Roles of Electrolytes: Calcium and Phosphate01:27

Roles of Electrolytes: Calcium and Phosphate

Calcium and phosphate are essential electrolytes in the human body, with calcium being the most abundant mineral. Around 99% of the body's calcium is stored in the skeleton and teeth, forming a crystal lattice of mineral salts in combination with phosphates. Calcium plays crucial roles in various bodily functions such as blood clotting, neurotransmitter release, muscle tone maintenance, and nervous and muscle tissue excitability.
The calcium concentration in blood plasma is primarily regulated...
The Bone Matrix01:18

The Bone Matrix

Bone contains a relatively small number of cells entrenched in a matrix of collagen fibers that provide an adherent surface for inorganic salt crystals. Both components of the matrix, organic and inorganic, contribute to the unusual properties of bone. Without collagen, bones would be brittle and shatter easily. Without mineral crystals, bones would flex and provide little support. This can be observed by an experiment: when the minerals of a bone are dissolved by soaking the bone in acid or...
Bone Remodeling01:40

Bone Remodeling

Bone remodeling is a continuous and balanced process of bone resorption by osteoclasts and bone formation by osteoblasts. In adults, it helps maintain bone mass and calcium homeostasis. While mechanical stress can stimulate turnover as part of the normal maintenance and reparative process, several hormones also regulate bone remodeling.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Analysis of Minerals Produced by hFOB 1.19 and Saos-2 Cells Using Transmission Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Microanalysis
14:55

Analysis of Minerals Produced by hFOB 1.19 and Saos-2 Cells Using Transmission Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Microanalysis

Published on: June 24, 2018

Extracellular pH regulates bone cell function.

Timothy R Arnett1

  • 1Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK. t.arnett@ucl.ac.uk

The Journal of Nutrition
|January 22, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Acidosis directly stimulates bone resorption by osteoclasts and inhibits bone mineralization by osteoblasts. Modulating acid-base balance may treat bone loss disorders.

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Analysis of Minerals Produced by hFOB 1.19 and Saos-2 Cells Using Transmission Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Microanalysis
14:55

Analysis of Minerals Produced by hFOB 1.19 and Saos-2 Cells Using Transmission Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Microanalysis

Published on: June 24, 2018

Using Real-Time Cell Metabolic Flux Analyzer to Monitor Osteoblast Bioenergetics
09:43

Using Real-Time Cell Metabolic Flux Analyzer to Monitor Osteoblast Bioenergetics

Published on: March 1, 2022

IDG-SW3 Cell Culture in a Three-Dimensional Extracellular Matrix
10:48

IDG-SW3 Cell Culture in a Three-Dimensional Extracellular Matrix

Published on: November 13, 2023

Area of Science:

  • Skeletal Physiology
  • Bone Cell Biology
  • Acid-Base Homeostasis

Background:

  • Bone serves as a mineral reserve, buffering metabolic acid (H+).
  • Acidosis negatively impacts bone, previously attributed to passive dissolution.
  • Direct cellular responses of bone cells to pH were largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the direct functional responses of bone cells to extracellular pH.
  • To elucidate the role of osteoclasts and osteoblasts in pH-mediated bone changes.

Main Methods:

  • Review of studies on cultured osteoclasts and bone organ cultures.
  • Investigation of osteoclast-mediated bone resorption and osteoblast mineralization in response to pH.
  • Exploration of potential pH-sensing mechanisms in osteoclasts.

Main Results:

  • Extracellular acidity directly stimulates osteoclast bone resorption, near-maximal at pH 7.0.
  • Bone resorption is osteoclast-mediated, with acidification as a key requirement.
  • Acidosis inhibits osteoblast mineralization by increasing hydroxyapatite solubility and inhibiting alkaline phosphatase.

Conclusions:

  • Extracellular H+ acts as an osteoclast activation factor.
  • Acidosis profoundly impacts bone remodeling through direct cellular effects.
  • Alkaline-shifting therapies may benefit bone loss disorders.