Answer
Bone resorption is necessary for development, maintenance and repair of bone.
The shape of bone is very important : osteoblasts lay down the extracellular matrix of bones, but osteoblasts must follow the lead of osteoclasts in order for desired patterns of bone matrix to emerge.
Osteoclasts are also important in making available to metabolic processes the calcium stored in bone matrix. In addition , osteoclasts are important in healing bones that have been fractured.
Work Step by Step
Osteoclasts are large multinucleate cells that form by a fusion of several macrophages.They are able to disaggregate and dissolve bone matrix by secreting lysozymes, HCl, and proteases from the ruffled area near their basement membranes. These enzymes enable osteoclasts to dissolve the protein and the mineral components of bone matrix simultaneously. After osteoclasts have formed resorption groves in bone matrix, osteoblasts lay down new matrix following the new spatial pattern set by those grove; this result in changes in shape of matrix laid down.
