Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "osteocyte" ita ce kamar haka:noun, AnatomyTantanin kasusuwa, wanda ke samuwa lokacin da osteoblast ya zama cikin matrix da ya ɓoye. Osteocytes sune mafi yawan nau'in tantanin halitta kuma suna da alhakin kiyaye tsari da aikin naman kashi. Suna taka muhimmiyar rawa wajen daidaita girma, kiyayewa, da gyaran ƙasusuwa. Osteocytes an saka su a cikin matrix na ma'adinai na kashi kuma suna sadarwa tare da juna da sauran kwayoyin halitta ta hanyar ƙananan tashoshi da ake kira canaliculi.