Which statement best describes the functions of the cranium and facial bones?

• A. Cranium protects the brain; facial bones support entrances to the digestive and respiratory tracts and provide facial features.
• B. Cranium stores minerals and facial bones produce blood cells.
• C. Cranium and facial bones both primarily assist in limb movement.
• D. Facial bones protect the brain.

Answer: (A)

Skull bones have two main roles: protecting the brain and shaping the face to form openings for eating, breathing, and sensing the environment. The cranium forms a sturdy protective case around the brain and provides attachment sites for muscles that move the jaw and head. The facial bones create the framework of the face, support entrances to the digestive and respiratory tracts (the mouth and nasal passages), and give us facial features. This combination—brain protection plus supporting and defining the openings and features of the face—is why the statement describing those functions is the best choice.