File:3D_Medical_Illustration_Meninges_Details.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
meninges
Sign in to saveAlso known as meninx, meningeal, meninge
In anatomy, the meninges (; meninx ; ) are protective membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. In mammals, three meninges have been clearly identified: the dura mater, the arachnoid mater, and the pia mater. Each layer has its own molecularly distinct type of fibroblasts. The meninges act as a physical and immunological protective barrier for the brain and spinal cord, shielding the central nervous system (CNS) from injury. They anchor and support the tissues of the CNS, and provide containment for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the arteries and veins that supply blood to the brain and s
The meninges are three protective membranes that surround and cover your brain and spinal cord. They shield these critical structures from injury, support them in place, and contain the fluid and blood vessels that keep your central nervous system functioning.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Anatomy.Name
- Meninges
- Anatomy.Latin
- meninges
- Anatomy.Image2
- Meninges-en.svg
- Anatomy.Caption2
- The meninges: dura mater, arachnoid mater and pia mater
- Anatomy.Image
- 3D Medical Illustration Meninges Details.jpg
- Anatomy.Caption
- Image depicting meninges around the brain
- Anatomy.Artery
- Middle meningeal artery, meningeal branches of the ascending pharyngeal artery, accessory meningeal artery, branch of anterior ethmoidal artery, meningeal branches of vertebral artery
- Anatomy.Nerve
- Middle meningeal nerve, nervus spinosus
via Wikipedia infobox
Research
147,552 papers- Remodeling of skull bone channels regulates immune infiltration into the meninges during neuroinflammation.Immunity · 2026
- Meningitis.Primary care · 2013
- Advances in Meningeal Immunity.Trends in molecular medicine · 2018
- Bacteria hijack a meningeal neuroimmune axis to facilitate brain invasion.Nature · 2023
- Dural and Leptomeningeal Diseases: Anatomy, Causes, and Neuroimaging Findings.Radiographics : a review publication of the Radiological Society of North America, Inc · 2023
via PubMed
Wikidata facts
Show 1 more fact
- Commons category
- Meninges
Sources (6)
via Wikidata · CC0
~12 min read
Article
18 sectionsContents
- Structures
- Dura mater
- Arachnoid mater
- Pia mater
- Subarachnoidal lymphatic-like membrane
- Leptomeninges
- Subarachnoid space
- Clinical significance
- Intracranial hemorrhage
- Meningioma
- Meningitis
- Migraine
- Other animals
- History
- See also
- Notes
- References
- External links
In anatomy, the meninges (; meninx ; ) are protective membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. In mammals, three meninges have been clearly identified: the dura mater, the arachnoid mater, and the pia mater. Each layer has its own molecularly distinct type of fibroblasts. The meninges act as a physical and immunological protective barrier for the brain and spinal cord, shielding the central nervous system (CNS) from injury. They anchor and support the tissues of the CNS, and provide containment for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the arteries and veins that supply blood to the brain and spinal cord.
The dura mater surrounds the arachnoid mater and supports the dural sinuses, which carry blood from the brain to the heart. The area between the arachnoid and pia mater is known as the subarachnoid space. It contains cerebrospinal fluid. The arachnoid and pia maters produce prostaglandin D2 synthase, a major cerebrospinal fluid protein. The arachnoid mater provides a restrictive permeability barrier between the cerebrospinal fluid in the subarachnoid space and the circulation of blood in the dura. The pia mater is a thin sheet of connective tissue that interfaces with the glial limitans superficialis.