Which element consists of web pages served by web servers?

The correct answer identifies an application as the element that consists of web pages served by web servers. Applications are essentially collections of web pages that are created using various web technologies and are designed to perform specific functions for users. They are hosted on web servers, which process requests and deliver the corresponding HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other resources to client browsers.

Web servers play a crucial role in retrieving and serving the data that makes up web applications. Applications can encompass everything from simple static sites to complex, dynamic web services that handle real-time interactions and data processing. This distinction is fundamental in understanding how user requests are managed and how content is served over the internet.

In contrast, databases store data that applications may use but they do not typically serve web pages directly. Physical servers refer to the actual hardware that may host applications or databases, while virtual machines are software-based emulations of physical computers that can run applications or other software. Each of these serves a different role in the architecture of web-based systems, but it is the application itself that embodies the web pages served by web servers.