Final answer:
Functional dependencies in a universal relation R help define relationships between attributes and enable the normalization of the relation.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of a universal relation R and its set of functional dependencies, functional dependencies play a crucial role in defining relationships between attributes. Functional dependencies help determine the dependencies between the attributes of a relation, which allows us to understand how changes in one attribute affect another. This information is utilized in the process of normalizing the relation to reduce redundancy and improve the overall design of the database.