MENINGES

-connective tissue membranes that

surround and protect the brain and spinal cord.

3 layers of meninges

1.Dura Mater(tough mother)- The most superficial and thickest membrane which is composed
of dense irregular con-
nective tissue.

•Epidural Space -lies between the dura and the vertebral bones.
-the epidural space of the cranial cavity is only a potential space

Two Layers Of Dura Mater

Periosteal Dura- The outer layer ; is the inner periosteum of the cranial bones.
Meningeal Dura-The inner layer.
-is continuous with the dura of the spinal cord.
- is separated from the periosteal dura in several regions to form structures called dural folds
and dural venous sinuses.

Dural folds- are tough connective tissue partitions that extend into the major brain fissures.
-help hold the brain in place within the skull and keep it from moving around too freely.
Falx Cerebri- The largest of the dural folds
- lies in the longitudinal fissure that
separates the left and right hemispheres.It is anchored anteriorly to the ethmoid bone
Tentorium Cerebelli- lies between the cerebrum and the cerebellum.

Dural Venous Sinuses- are drainage channels that form where the two layers of the dura
mater are separated from each
other.
- collect blood from the small veins of the brain and empty into the internal jugular veins, which
exit the skull.

Subdural Hematoma
A result of the damage to the veins crossing between the cerebral cortex and
the dural venous sinuses can cause bleeding into the subdural space.

2. Arachnoid Mater(spiderlike, as in cobwebs)- wispy;very thin meningeal membrane

The space between this membrane and the dura mater is the subdural space.It contains only a
very small amount of serous fluid.

Health professionals use such a needle

to inject anesthetic into the area as a spinal block or to take a
sample of cerebrospinal fluid in a spinal tap.

Pia Mater- is bound very tightly to the

surface of the brain. Between the arachnoid mater and the pia
mater is the subarachnoid space, which contains weblike strands of arachnoid mater and the
blood vessels supplying the brain. The subarachnoid space is filled with CSF.

Ventricles- fluid-filled cavities contain by CNS.

-Each cerebral hemisphere contains a relatively large cavity called
the lateral ventricle.
Third Ventricle- is a smaller, midline
cavity located in the center of the diencephalon between the two
halves of the thalamus and connected by foramina (holes) to the
lateral ventricles.
Fourth Ventricle is located at the base of the cerebellum and connected to the third ventricle by
a narrow canal,
called the cerebral aqueduct.
- is continuous with the central canal of the spinal cord.
- also opens into the subarachnoid space through foramina in its walls
and roof.
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
-bathes the brain and spinal cord
-providing a protective cushion around the CNS.

choroid plexuses produce the CSF. -These plexuses are specialized structures made of
ependymal cells and are located in the ventricles.

-CSF fills the brain ventricles, the cen-

tral canal of the spinal cord, and the subarachnoid space.
- A small amount of CSF enters the central canal of the spinal cord.
-The CSF exits the fourth ventricle through small openings in its walls
and roof and enters the subarachnoid space.
Arachnoid Granulations- masses of arachnoid tissue penetrate the superior
sagittal sinus, a dural venous sinus in the longitudinal fissure, and CSF passes from the
subarachnoid space into the blood through these granulations.

Hydrocephalus- is a condition where the blockage of the openings in the fourth ventricle or the
cerebral aqueduct can cause CSF to accumulate in the ventricles

2 General Categories Of Cranial Nerve Function:

• Sensory functions can be divided into the
special senses:
*vision
*touch
*pain in the face.

•Motor functions are subdivided into :

*Somatic motor cranial nerves
-innervate skeletal muscles in the head and neck.
*Parasympathetic cranial nerves
- innervate glands, smooth muscle throughout the body, and cardiac muscle of the heart