What are the three protective membranes of the central nervous system?

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What are the three protective membranes of the central nervous system?

The three protective coverings of the central nervous system are the dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater. The dura mater is the tough outer layer that adds rigidity and protection. The arachnoid mater lies beneath it as a delicate, web-like middle layer, with the subarachnoid space beneath it that holds cerebrospinal fluid for cushioning. The pia mater is the thin inner layer that closely adheres to the brain and spinal cord’s surface, following every contour and housing tiny blood vessels. Together, these membranes shield the CNS and help maintain its stable environment. Other terms in the choices refer to structures that aren’t protective membranes: ependyma lines the brain’s ventricles, the choroid plexus produces cerebrospinal fluid within the ventricles, and “meninges” is the collective name for the three membranes rather than an individual layer.

The three protective coverings of the central nervous system are the dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater. The dura mater is the tough outer layer that adds rigidity and protection. The arachnoid mater lies beneath it as a delicate, web-like middle layer, with the subarachnoid space beneath it that holds cerebrospinal fluid for cushioning. The pia mater is the thin inner layer that closely adheres to the brain and spinal cord’s surface, following every contour and housing tiny blood vessels. Together, these membranes shield the CNS and help maintain its stable environment.

Other terms in the choices refer to structures that aren’t protective membranes: ependyma lines the brain’s ventricles, the choroid plexus produces cerebrospinal fluid within the ventricles, and “meninges” is the collective name for the three membranes rather than an individual layer.

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