The fully differentiated osteoblast may be easily recognized in bone tissue. Its cuboidal shape, its position directly opposed to the bone surface and its capacity to produce calcified bone matrix are characteristic. Three other differentiation stages are also reasonably well defined--the preosteoblast, the osteocyte and the lining cell. These differentiation stages are preceded by an unknown number of precursor, progenitor and stem cell stages. Little is known about the regulation of the transitions between the various osteogenic phenotypes and their reversibility or irreversibility. One of the reasons for this is the lack of adequate tools with which to recognize the various differentiation stages. We have developed a number of monoclonal antibodies (in bone) specifically directed against osteocytes, osteoblasts and as yet unidentified cells in the periosteum. The anti-osteocyte monoclonals were used to recognize osteocytes in bone cell cultures and we obtained purified osteocyte populations for metabolic studies. Osteocytes were shown to have binding sites for parathyroid hormone. The antibodies directed against osteoblasts showed that at present our culture conditions are inadequate to allow osteoblast differentiation in vitro.