What is the purpose of using parameters in functions?

Using parameters in functions serves the essential purpose of allowing the function to accept different inputs, making it more flexible and versatile. When a function has parameters, it can be called with various arguments, enabling the same function to be utilized in different contexts or with different data. This design promotes code reusability and efficiency because you can write a function once and use it multiple times throughout the program with various inputs, rather than having to create a separate function for each possible input.

The other options represent different concepts in programming. Defining global variables refers to variables that can be accessed from anywhere in the code, which is not directly related to function parameters. Creating shortcut methods typically involves simplifying function calls, but this doesn't capture the primary role of parameters. Storing temporary data pertains to the use of local variables within a function, rather than the function's ability to accept varied inputs through parameters.