Final answer:
The 'cranium' refers to the part of the skull consisting of eight bones that form the protective enclosure for the brain, including features such as support for facial structures and muscle attachments. It also forms cavities such as the nasal cavity and eye sockets.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term 'cranium' refers to a specific part of the skull which serves as the protective enclosure for the brain. The cranium, or braincase, consists of eight bones: the single frontal bone, a pair of parietal bones, a pair of temporal bones, the occipital bone, the sphenoid bone, and the ethmoid bone. The ethmoid bone separates the nasal cavity from the brain, and the sphenoid bone assists in forming the eye sockets along with the frontal bone. Other cranium bones are large and plate-like, covering and safeguarding the brain.
The eight cranial bones are tightly fused with connective tissue in adults, ensuring the stability of the brain's protective environment. Essential functions of the cranium include supporting facial structures, forming the nasal cavity, enclosing the eyeballs, and providing attachment sites for muscles of the head and neck. Furthermore, the term 'cranium' derives from Latin, and its plural form is 'crania'