The forward closure screws onto the front end of the case. It serves multiple purposes. First, it holds the hot gases of the burning propellant and keeps them from shooting forward into the body of the model rocket. It also holds the special slug of propellant called the "delay grain." Finally, it has a small receptical at the tip to hold the black-powder ejection charge.
The aft closure screws onto the base of the aluminum case. Like the forward closure, it is a bulkhead that holds the hot gases inside the case so the motor can produce thrust. In the middle of the part there is a big hole, which allows the nozzle to protrude out the back end of the assembly.
Their is another feature of the aft closure that makes it convenient for use in most rockets. The diameter is bigger than the case. When you push the motor into the engine tube of the rocket kit, it stops when it butts up against the aft closure. In effect, it acts as the engine block. This way you can leave the engine block out of the kit if you want to use it with different length reload motors!