Final answer:
The term for the air-filled cavities in some facial and cranial bones is 'sinus'. These paranasal sinuses, which include the frontal, maxillary, ethmoid, and sphenoid sinuses, help to warm and humidify air and reduce skull weight.
Step-by-step explanation:
The anatomic term that refers to the air-filled cavities located in some bones of the face and cranium is sinus. These are known as paranasal sinuses, which include the frontal, maxillary, ethmoid, and sphenoid sinuses. They are named after the skull bones they occupy and are lined with mucous membranes, contributing to warming and humidifying inhaled air, as well as lightening the weight of the skull. The frontal sinus is the most anterior, the maxillary sinuses are the largest and located below the orbits, the sphenoid sinus is the most posterior, and the ethmoid sinuses consist of several small air cells.