What is the function of a CT scanner's gantry?

The gantry of a CT scanner plays a crucial role by housing the X-ray tube and detectors. This component serves as the structure that supports and aligns these essential parts of the scanning mechanism. The X-ray tube generates the X-rays that are necessary for imaging, while the detectors capture the data that forms the cross-sectional images of the body.

Having the X-ray tube and detectors housed within the gantry ensures that they are positioned correctly and remain stable during the scanning process, which is vital for producing high-quality images. This design facilitates precise imaging as the gantry rotates around the patient, allowing for the capturing of multiple angles of the body in a systematic manner.

Additionally, each of the other options refers to functions not performed by the gantry. For instance, while image storage is critical to the scanning process, it is managed by the scanner's computer system and not the gantry itself. The movement of the patient is handled by the examination table, and while radiation protection is important in CT scanning, safety features related to radiation shielding are incorporated into the overall machine design rather than being a specific function of the gantry.