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 osteoclast (from the Greek words for bone (á½ÏÏÎ­Î¿Î½), and broken (ÎºÎ»Î±ÏÏÏÏ)) is a type of bone cell that breaks down bone tissue. This function is critical in the maintenance, repair, and remodelling of bones of the vertebral skeleton.