Osteocytes in immature bone

[reising1]

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Osteocytes are found in immature (woven) bone. But then I found out that osteocytes are basically mature osteoblasts that live in the lacuna. All blastocytes are destined to become osteocytes.

If osteocytes are mature osteoblasts, then how is it that immature bone has osteocytes. It seems that mature bone should have osteocytes, since it takes time for osteoblasts to mature to osteocytes.

What's going on here?

 

[RyanRt]

That sounds more in depth than what you would have to know for the MCAT

 

[Cottoneyebob]

Osteocytes are found in immature (woven) bone. But then I found out that osteocytes are basically mature osteoblasts that live in the lacuna. All blastocytes are destined to become osteocytes.

If osteocytes are mature osteoblasts, then how is it that immature bone has osteocytes. It seems that mature bone should have osteocytes, since it takes time for osteoblasts to mature to osteocytes.

What's going on here?

Mature doesn't mean old it means developed. Osteoclast burrow into bone and Osteoblast follow secreting matrix. Some times an Osteoblast get caught in these tunnels, when this happens they turn in to Osteocytes. So Osteocytes=trapped Osteoblast.