Video Transcript
Which of the following is a primary
function of the skull? (A) To provide support for cranial
nerves. (B) To provide oxygen and essential
nutrients to the brain. (C) To act as a reserve of stem
cells to replace dead or damaged nerve cells. Or (D) to protect the brain from
injury.
The skull is the portion of the
skeleton that encases the brain, connects to the vertebral column, or spine, and
houses some of the important sensory organs, such as the eyes, ears, and tongue. While cranial nerves do run through
portions of the skull, the skull does not particularly provide support for these
nerves, and they run through other portions of the body as well, such as the neck,
outside of the skull. Therefore, we can eliminate choice
(A).
And the circulation of blood
through the brain tissues are what provide oxygen and essential nutrients to the
brain. The skull is not part of the
circulatory system and so does not play a role in this. We can therefore also eliminate
(B).
And while bone marrow does store
stem cells, that is not a primary function of the skull, which as we can see is
particularly adapted for various purposes beyond just being a bone. Additionally, nerve cells
particularly are rarely replaced beyond a certain point in development. So, for both of these reasons, we
can eliminate (C).
However, the skull does provide a
hard covering to protect the soft tissues of the brain, which is one of the very
most important organs in the proper functioning of the body. So, the correct answer to this
question is (D). A primary function of the skull is
to protect the brain from injury.
