Which cell type, also called an osteoprogenitor, differentiates into osteoblasts or bone lining cells?

Which cell type, also called an osteoprogenitor, differentiates into osteoblasts or bone lining cells?

• A. Osteogenic Cells
• B. Osteoblasts
• C. Osteocytes
• D. Osteoclasts

Answer: (A)

The cell type that serves as the progenitor for bone-forming cells is the osteogenic, or osteoprogenitor, cell. These cells come from mesenchymal stem cells and reside in places like the periosteum and endosteum. Their main role is to differentiate into osteoblasts, which synthesize and secrete the bone matrix, or into bone lining cells that cover bone surfaces when active remodeling isn’t occurring. That progenitor status is what sets them apart from the other boneCell types: osteoblasts are the builders themselves; osteocytes are mature cells embedded in the bone matrix that maintain it; and osteoclasts resorb bone.

The cell type that serves as the progenitor for bone-forming cells is the osteogenic, or osteoprogenitor, cell. These cells come from mesenchymal stem cells and reside in places like the periosteum and endosteum. Their main role is to differentiate into osteoblasts, which synthesize and secrete the bone matrix, or into bone lining cells that cover bone surfaces when active remodeling isn’t occurring. That progenitor status is what sets them apart from the other boneCell types: osteoblasts are the builders themselves; osteocytes are mature cells embedded in the bone matrix that maintain it; and osteoclasts resorb bone.