General Anatomy · Skeletal System · Medium
Osteocyte
Meaning: A mature bone cell trapped within the bone matrix that helps maintain and sense load on bone.
In practice: Each osteocyte sits in a small space and communicates with neighbours through tiny canals.
Word parts
- osteo- means bone
- -cyte means a cell
Many medical words are built from Greek and Latin parts like these, so learning a few helps you work out new terms.
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