Which statement best describes the axial skeleton?

Which statement best describes the axial skeleton?

• A. It forms the longitudinal axis of the body from skull to tailbone
• B. It cushions joints between bones
• C. It attaches soft tissues and internal organs
• D. It provides energy storage

Answer: (A)

The axial skeleton forms the central longitudinal axis of the body, extending from the skull down to the tailbone (coccyx). It includes the skull, vertebral column, and rib cage with sternum, and its primary roles are to support the head and trunk, protect the brain, spinal cord, and thoracic organs, and provide attachment points for muscles involved in movement and breathing. Because describing it as forming the longitudinal axis from skull to tailbone directly captures its defining function, that statement is the best description. Other options describe roles that involve different tissues or broader skeletal functions (joints and cartilage for cushioning, marrow storage and energy reserves for metabolism, or general attachment of tissues), but they do not pinpoint what the axial skeleton chiefly does.

The axial skeleton forms the central longitudinal axis of the body, extending from the skull down to the tailbone (coccyx). It includes the skull, vertebral column, and rib cage with sternum, and its primary roles are to support the head and trunk, protect the brain, spinal cord, and thoracic organs, and provide attachment points for muscles involved in movement and breathing. Because describing it as forming the longitudinal axis from skull to tailbone directly captures its defining function, that statement is the best description. Other options describe roles that involve different tissues or broader skeletal functions (joints and cartilage for cushioning, marrow storage and energy reserves for metabolism, or general attachment of tissues), but they do not pinpoint what the axial skeleton chiefly does.