What are the four main types of bone cells, and what are their primary functions in bone tissue?
The four main types of bone cells are osteoprogenitor cells (bone stem cells that develop into osteoblasts), osteoblasts (cells that build new bone matrix by secreting collagen and enzymes for hydroxyapatite formation), osteocytes (mature bone cells that maintain the matrix and monitor bone stress), and osteoclasts (multinucleated cells that break down bone matrix for remodeling and calcium regulation).