What type of surgical instruments are used for cutting tissues?

Cutting instruments are specifically designed to incise, excise, or divide tissues during surgical procedures. They play a critical role in surgeries where precision is necessary, such as making initial incisions or removing tissue. Common examples include scalpels, scissors, and certain types of bone cutters.

Grasping instruments, on the other hand, are utilized to hold or manipulate tissues and organs, not to cut them. Clamping instruments are designed to occlude or hold vessels and tissues, typically used to control bleeding or tissue handling. Retraction instruments are used to hold back or retract tissue to provide better visibility and access to the surgical field, rather than cutting through tissue. Thus, the defining feature of cutting instruments sets them apart as the correct answer for this question.