Crossword-Solution: OSTEOCLASTS 11 letters, 2 clues 🏆 scrabble score: 13

The dead bone is separated from the living by the agency of granulation tissue with its usual complements of phagocytes and osteoclasts, so that the sequestrum presents along its margins and on its deep surface a pitted, grooved, and worm-eaten appearance, except on the periosteal aspect, which is unaltered.

They appear to be the active agents in all processes of absorption (see osteoclasts under bone), and for instance, migrate into and devour the tissue of the tadpole's tail, during its metamorphosis to the adult frog.

The great thing to notice about this is that cartilage does not become bone, but is eaten into and ousted by it; the osteoblasts and osteoclasts replace entirely the cartilage corpuscles, and are not derived from them.

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.

The valuable researches of Tomes and De Morgan show that during life a continual process of formation and absorption is taking place in bone, whilst the former has also pointed out that the process of absorption in the fangs of temporary teeth is one alternating between absorption and deposition, though in the end in favour of the former, _i.e._, that the osteoblasts which effect the absorption of the dentine often become calcified, but are again eventually decalcified and become active osteoclasts.