Cranial Meninges and Skull Anatomy

Vocabulary flashcards covering the anatomical layers and structures of the cranial meninges, skull, and dural venous sinuses.

Cranial meninges

The three protective connective tissue membranes—the dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater—that envelop the brain beneath the bones of the skull.

Dura mater

The tough, outermost cranial meninx composed of two fused fibrous layers: the outer periosteal layer and the inner meningeal layer.

Arachnoid mater

The middle, web-like meninx located between the dura mater and the pia mater, separated from the pia mater by the subarachnoid space.

Pia mater

The highly vascular, delicate innermost meninx that adheres closely to the contours, sulci, and gyri of the brain's cerebral cortex.

Subarachnoid space

The fluid-filled space between the arachnoid mater and the pia mater that contains cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), spiderweb-like trabeculae, and blood vessels.

Superior sagittal sinus

A large midline dural venous sinus situated between the meningeal and periosteal layers of the dura mater that collects venous blood and reabsorbed cerebrospinal fluid.

Arachnoid granulation

An extension or villus of the arachnoid mater that projects through the meningeal dura into the superior sagittal sinus to allow drainage of cerebrospinal fluid into venous blood.

Falx cerebri

A large vertical fold of the inner meningeal dura mater that projects downward into the longitudinal fissure separating the two cerebral hemispheres.