Title: osteoclast
Long Title: IUPAC Gold Book - osteoclast
DOI: 10.1351/goldbook.11050
Status: current

Definition
Large multinucleate cell that resorbs bone, allowing for the deposition of new bone.

Note
Osteoclasts secrete enzymes and acids that dissolve the calcium phosphate matrix of old bone tissue.

Source
- PAC, 2016, 88, 713. 'Glossary of terms used in developmental and reproductive toxicology (IUPAC Recommendations 2016)' on page 788 (https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2015-1202)

Other Outputs
- html: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/11050/html
- json: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/11050/json
- xml: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/11050/xml

Citation: Citation: 'osteoclast' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. 10.1351/goldbook.11050
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Accessed: 2026-05-24T00:38:23+00:00