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osteoclast
6 dictionary results for: Osteoclast
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
os·te·o·clast 
[os-tee-uh-klast] Pronunciation Key
[os-tee-uh-klast] Pronunciation Key –noun
| 1. | Cell Biology. one of the large multinuclear cells in growing bone concerned with the absorption of osseous tissue, as in the formation of canals. |
| 2. | Surgery. an instrument for effecting osteoclasis. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
| os·te·o·clast
(ŏs'tē-ə-klāst') Pronunciation Key
n.
[osteo- + Medieval Latin -clastēs, breaker (from Late Greek -klastēs, from Greek klastos, broken, from klān, to break).] os'te·o·clas'tic adj. |
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
| osteoclast | |
noun | |
| cell that functions in the breakdown and resorption of bone tissue |
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
The American Heritage Science Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
| osteoclast
(ŏs'tē-ə-klāst') Pronunciation Key
A specialized bone cell that absorbs bone, allowing for the deposition of new bone and maintenance of bone strength. Osteoclasts secrete enyzmes that dissolve the matrix of old bone tissue and acids that dissolve bone salts, which contain calcium and phosphorus. Except in growing bone, the rate of bone deposition and bone absorption equal each other so that bone mass remains constant. A mass of osteoclasts absorbs bone from the outer surfaces inward for about three weeks. The osteoclasts are then converted into osteoblasts that form new bone to fill in the cavities. See also osteoblast. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
os'te·o·clas'tic adj.
osteoclast os·te·o·clast (ŏs'tē-ə-klāst')
n.
- A large multinucleate cell found in growing bone that resorbs bony tissue, as in the formation of canals and cavities. Also called osteophage.
- An instrument used in surgical osteoclasis.
os'te·o·clas'tic adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Osteoclast
Os"te*o*clast\, n. [Osteo- + Gr. ? to break.]1. (Physiol.) A myeloplax. Note: The osteoclasts occur usually in pits or cavities which they appear to have excavated, and are supposed to be concerned in the absorption of the bone matrix. 2. An instrument for performing osteoclasis.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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