Final answer:
The cranium, commonly known as the skull, is comprised of cranial bones and facial bones. It encloses the brain within the cranial cavity and plays a crucial role in protecting the brain and supporting the structures of the face.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Cranium and Its Functions
The common name for the cranium is skull. The cranium is a critical part of the human skeleton that both supports the facial structures and provides protection for the brain. Within the skull, there are two distinct categories of bones: the cranial bones and the facial bones.
The cranial bones consist of eight specific bones that collectively form the brain case, or cranial vault, and enclose the brain, creating the cranial cavity. These bones include the frontal bone, two parietal bones, two temporal bones, the occipital bone, the sphenoid bone, and the ethmoid bone.
The ethmoid bone, for example, separates the nasal cavity from the brain, while the sphenoid bone is part of the formation of the eye sockets. In adults, the bones are fused with connective tissue, which means adjacent bones do not move.
Another name for the cranium is braincase, which refers specifically to the upper portion of the skull. It contains and protects the brain in the cranial cavity which is bounded by the rounded top (calvaria or skullcap) and the sides and base of the skull.
The brain case, formed by flat bones, alongside the facial bones which help in forming the nasal cavity, enclosing the eyeballs, and supporting the teeth, underlie the facial features and play a crucial role in the overall structure and function of the skull.