Calcium communication network 305

Osteoblasts which have become encased in bone are called osteocytes. The bony covering is not complete and osteocytes maintain communication with other cells and the general circulation through a network of tunnels located in the bony matrix, which are called canaliculi. Osteocytes play several roles in body homeostasis, including maintaining normal levels of serum calcium and phosphorus. 

The evolution of primeval life forms into complex multicellular organisms required the concomitant development of effective intercellular communication systems for coordinating essential functions. In higher animals intercellular signaling occurs rapidly via the activation of electrochemical transmission through various neural networks or, more slowly, through the release of humoral substances into the circulation. By virtue of its regulatory actions on cellular processes, calcium ion functions... 

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