Gastrointestinal: Adjective referring collectively to the stomach and small and large intestines. The commonly used abbreviation for gastrointestinal is GI. (Outside of medicine, GI can also stand for galvanized iron, general issue or government issue-as in GI Joe).
Before the extracellular matrix is calcified, the tissue is called osteoid (bone-like) tissue. When the concentrations of calcium and phosphate ions rise high enough, they are deposited into the extracellular matrix, and the bone calcifies.
An osteocyte is a bone-forming cell that has become entrapped within the bone matrix (the hard part of the bone).It lies within a lacuna, a small pit, and communicates with its surroundings through tiny channels called canaliculi.n osteocyte is a bone-forming cell that has become entrapped within the bone matrix (the hard part of the bone).