Final answer:
The cranium, or braincase, consisting of eight bones, surrounds and protects the brain, making C) Cranium the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The cranium, also known as the braincase, is the part of the skull that surrounds and protects the brain. The bones that constitute the cranium include the frontal bone, paired parietal bones, paired temporal bones, the occipital bone, the sphenoid bone, and the ethmoid bone. These eight bones form the cranial cavity and are tightly fused with connective tissue in adults, ensuring the protection of the brain from non-traumatic injury. Therefore, the option that correctly identifies the skull bones that surround and protect the brain is C) Cranium.