Fig. 1.

Osteocytes in the LCS of the bone environment. a SEM image of acid-etched resin-embedded cortical bone sections reveals an ellipsoid cell shape and extensive canaliculi connections among osteocytes.⁸b Magnified SEM image of a single osteocyte highlighted in the yellow square in a. c Illustration of osteocytes in the LCS of the bone environment. Magnified cartoon image of two adjacent osteocytes highlighted in the yellow square in a. The important aspects of osteocytes are highlighted in magnified cartoon images: focal adhesions, gap junctions, the primary cilium, cell cytoskeleton, ion channels, pericellular matrix at the lacunar region, and collagen hillocks at the canalicular region. [Panels a and b from Bonewald et al.,⁸ reprinted with permission]