What is up with the stock intake tube?

[jcmeyer5]

So this is what I was greeted with when I opened up the hood on my new-to-me 2008 Expedition. What is up with all the cast-in elbows and voids? Do they serve a purpose? From what I can tell, they don't have anything hooked to them. And they are ugly. Is this why most people get the K&N, AirRaid, etc. kits?

 

[DUNE RCR]

If I remember correctly, it was explained to me as noise canceling for certain tones, kinda like a stock muffler with how rediculously large it is.

 

[Lostneye]

It is a Heimholtz resonator that can be for either sound canceling to cut down or tune intake noise, or help cancel or create an air charge resonance that may effect power.