How many bones make up the axial skeleton?

The axial skeleton is composed of 80 bones, which includes the skull, vertebral column, and rib cage. This structure serves critical functions such as protecting the brain, spinal cord, and thoracic organs, while also providing support to the body.

To break it down further, the skull contains 22 bones, the vertebral column consists of 26 vertebrae, and the rib cage is made up of 24 ribs along with the sternum. When you total these components, you arrive at the total of 80 bones that constitute the axial skeleton.

The other choices represent different totals that are not specific to just the axial skeleton. For instance, the complete adult human skeleton, which includes both the axial and appendicular skeleton, contains a total of 206 bones. Thus, while the number 80 accurately reflects the axial skeleton only, other options do not pertain specifically to the axial bones.