Definition
noun
The intercellular substance of the bone tissue; that part of bone tissue comprised of organic and inorganic substances; the extracellular matrix of bone tissue
Supplement
The bone matrix is that part of the bone tissue and forms most of the mass of the bone. It is comprised of organic and inorganic substances. The organic component of the bone matrix includes the collagen and ground substance whereas the inorganic component is the inorganic bone salts, mainly the hydroxyapatite. The collagen and ground substance form approximately 25% of the bone mass. Collagen, though, is the predominant organic component. About 90% of the organic component of the bone matrix is due to the type I collagen that is secreted by the osteoblasts and osteocytes. The ground substance is the nonfibrillar organic component of the bone matrix and it fills the space around the collagen fibrils and hydroxyapatite crystals. The ground substance contains glycoproteins, proteoglycans, and glycosaminoglycans.1 The organic component of the bone matrix helps resist tension whereas the inorganic component helps resist compression.2
See also:
- osteocyte
- osteoblast
- collagen
- ground substance
- hydroxyapatite
- bone
Reference(s):
1 Henrikson, R., Kaye, G. & Mazurkiewicz, J. (1997). Histology. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins. p.129
2 Eroschenko, V. & Fiore, M. (2008). DiFiore’s atlas of histology with functional correlations. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p.80
