What role does CSS play in determining the visual hierarchy of elements like galleries in a PHP project?

CSS plays a crucial role in determining the visual hierarchy of elements like galleries in a PHP project by allowing developers to style and position elements on the page. By using CSS properties such as `display`, `position`, `float`, and `z-index`, developers can control the layout and visual order of elements within a gallery. This helps create a visually appealing and organized presentation of images or content within the gallery.

// Example PHP code snippet for displaying a gallery with CSS styles
echo '<div class="gallery">';
echo '<img src="image1.jpg" alt="Image 1">';
echo '<img src="image2.jpg" alt="Image 2">';
echo '<img src="image3.jpg" alt="Image 3">';
echo '</div>';
```

```css
/* Example CSS styles for the gallery */
.gallery {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(200px, 1fr));
  gap: 10px;
}

.gallery img {
  width: 100%;
  height: auto;
}