Anatomy, Back, Spinal Meninges

The spinal cord and brain are encased within three layers of tissue called the meninges. The spinal meninges specifically enclose the spinal cord and stretch from the brainstem down to the filum terminale. The layers of the meninges are, from deep to superficial, the pia mater, the arachnoid mater, and the dura mater. The names of these layers give information on their qualities. Pia, which is Latin for “loving” and mater, which is Latin for “mother,” make up the pia mater, or “loving mother,” which is directly attached to the spinal cord and inseparable. The arachnoid mater contains a web of fiber beneath it in the subarachnoid space, and the dura mater or “hard mother” is the tough outer layer of the meninges. The principal function of the spinal meninges is to protect and support the spinal cord.