Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Weightlessness01:01

Weightlessness

5.9K
When an object is dropped, it accelerates toward the center of the Earth. If the net external force on the object is its weight, it is said to be in free fall; that is, the only force acting on the object is gravity. Galileo was instrumental in showing that, in the absence of air resistance, all objects fall with the same acceleration g. However, when objects on the Earth fall downward, they are never truly in free fall, because there is always some upward resistance force from the air acting...
5.9K
Bone Disorders01:29

Bone Disorders

4.2K
Aging and its effect on bone remodeling is the most common cause of bone disorders. In young and healthy people, bone deposition and resorption happen at an equal rate to maintain optimal bone health.
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
4.2K
Bone Remodeling01:40

Bone Remodeling

38.8K
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.
38.8K
Osteoclasts in Bone Remodeling01:31

Osteoclasts in Bone Remodeling

3.3K
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...
3.3K
The Bone Matrix01:18

The Bone Matrix

4.8K
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...
4.8K
Bone Cells and Tissue01:30

Bone Cells and Tissue

6.3K
Bones contain a relatively small number of cells entrenched in a matrix of organic and inorganic components. Although bone cells compose only a small amount of the bone volume, they are crucial to its function. Four types of cells are found within the bone tissue— osteoblasts, osteocytes, osteogenic cells, and osteoclasts.
Osteoblasts and Osteocytes
The osteoblast is the bone cell responsible for forming new bone tissue. It is found in the growing portions of bone, including the...
6.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

ESA VIVALDI (1 & 2) campaigns: sex-specific bone responses to dry immersion-induced unloading.

Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)·2026
Same author

Sex-specific cardiometabolic responses during microgravity simulation in European Space Agency VIVALDI dry immersion.

Communications medicine·2026
Same author

Ecdysone-mediated intestinal growth contributes to microbiota-driven developmental plasticity under malnutrition.

Development (Cambridge, England)·2026
Same author

Therapeutic potential of FGF19 in combatting osteosarcopenia: effects on muscle strength and bone health in aged male mice.

JBMR plus·2025
Same author

Developing an exercise intervention to minimise hip bone mineral density loss following traumatic lower limb amputation: a Delphi study.

British journal of sports medicine·2024
Same author

OPN, BSP, and Bone Quality-Structural, Biochemical, and Biomechanical Assessment in OPN<sup>-/-</sup>, BSP<sup>-/-</sup>, and DKO Mice.

Calcified tissue international·2024
Same journal

Beyond Fracture Probability: Communicating the Full Consequences of Fracture and Contextualization.

Current osteoporosis reports·2026
Same journal

Time-Lapse HR-pQCT: an in Vivo Imaging-Based Assessment of Bone Remodeling Dynamics.

Current osteoporosis reports·2026
Same journal

Cone Beam Computed Tomography of Bonejaws in Patients With Primary Osteoporosis: A Systematic Review.

Current osteoporosis reports·2026
Same journal

Testosterone and Bone Health in Men.

Current osteoporosis reports·2026
Same journal

Stimulant Medications and Bone Health.

Current osteoporosis reports·2026
Same journal

The Innate and Adaptive Immune Functions of Osteoblast-Lineage Cells.

Current osteoporosis reports·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 13, 2025

A Fluorescent Intravital Imaging Approach to Study Load-Induced Calcium Signaling Dynamics in Mouse Osteocytes
05:03

A Fluorescent Intravital Imaging Approach to Study Load-Induced Calcium Signaling Dynamics in Mouse Osteocytes

Published on: February 24, 2023

804

Osteocytes and Weightlessness.

Donata Iandolo1, Maura Strigini1, Alain Guignandon1

  • 1U1059 INSERM - SAINBIOSE (SAnté INgéniérie BIOlogie St-Etienne) Campus Santé Innovation, Université Jean Monnet, Saint-Priest-en-Jarez, France.

Current Osteoporosis Reports
|November 12, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Osteocytes play a key role in bone remodeling during unloading conditions. This review examines their function in spaceflight and microgravity, focusing on signaling molecules and mechanotransduction.

Keywords:
Bone cellsCytokinesLacuna-canalicular networkOsteocytesPeri-lacunar remodelingWeightlessness

More Related Videos

Analysis and Imaging of Osteocytes
10:19

Analysis and Imaging of Osteocytes

Published on: November 29, 2024

917
Author Spotlight: Comparing Alveolar and Long Bone Remodeling to Explore OTM Model Potential
05:25

Author Spotlight: Comparing Alveolar and Long Bone Remodeling to Explore OTM Model Potential

Published on: July 21, 2023

1.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 13, 2025

A Fluorescent Intravital Imaging Approach to Study Load-Induced Calcium Signaling Dynamics in Mouse Osteocytes
05:03

A Fluorescent Intravital Imaging Approach to Study Load-Induced Calcium Signaling Dynamics in Mouse Osteocytes

Published on: February 24, 2023

804
Analysis and Imaging of Osteocytes
10:19

Analysis and Imaging of Osteocytes

Published on: November 29, 2024

917
Author Spotlight: Comparing Alveolar and Long Bone Remodeling to Explore OTM Model Potential
05:25

Author Spotlight: Comparing Alveolar and Long Bone Remodeling to Explore OTM Model Potential

Published on: July 21, 2023

1.6K

Area of Science:

  • * Bone Biology and Mechanobiology
  • * Spaceflight and Microgravity Research

Background:

  • * Osteocytes are central to bone remodeling, particularly in response to unloading.
  • * Human bone biopsies are invasive; thus, rodent and in vitro models are crucial for studying spaceflight effects.
  • * Simulated microgravity models on Earth aid research into bone loss during space missions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To review the role of osteocytes in bone mass changes observed in space-related models.
  • * To investigate the involvement of signaling molecules and osteocyte apoptosis in microgravity.
  • * To discuss mechanotransduction, fluid flow, and shear stress alterations affecting osteocytes during spaceflight.

Main Methods:

  • * Review of existing literature on osteocyte function in unloading conditions.
  • * Analysis of data from rodent models and in vitro systems simulating spaceflight.
  • * Examination of signaling pathways and cellular responses in osteocytes.

Main Results:

  • * Osteocytes are implicated in directing bone remodeling under unloading.
  • * Signaling molecules and osteocyte apoptosis are key factors.
  • * Altered fluid flow and shear stress in microgravity impact osteocyte mechanotransduction.

Conclusions:

  • * Osteocytes are critical mediators of bone adaptation to unloading.
  • * Understanding osteocyte responses is vital for mitigating bone loss in space.
  • * Further research into osteocyte signaling and mechanobiology is warranted.