Meninges-Histology of Nervous System

The skull and the vertebral column protect the central nervous system. It is also encased in membranes of connective tissue called the meninges . Starting with the outermost layer, the meninges are the dura mater, arachnoid, and pia mater. The arachnoid and the pia mater are linked together and are often considered a single membrane called the pia-arachnoid.

Dura Mater

The dura mater is the external layer and is composed of dense connective tissue continuous with the periosteum of the skull. The dura mater that envelops the spinal cord is separated from the periosteum of the vertebrae by the epidural space, which contains thin-walled veins, loose connective tissue, and adipose tissue. The dura mater is always separated from the arachnoid by the thin subdural space.

Arachnoid

The arachnoid has two components: a layer in contact with the dura mater and a system of trabeculae connecting the layer with the pia mater. The cavities between the trabeculae form the subarachnoid space, which is filled with cerebrospinal fluid and is completely separated from the subdural space. This space forms a hydraulic cushion that protects the central nervous system from trauma. The subarachnoid space communicates with the ventricles of the brain. The arachnoid is composed of connective tissue devoid of blood vessels. In some areas, the arachnoid perforates the dura mater, forming protrusions that terminate in venous sinuses in the dura mater. These protrusions, which are covered by endothelial cells of the veins, are called arachnoid villi. Their function is to reabsorb cerebrospinal fluid into the blood of the venous sinuses.

Pia Mater

The pia mater is a loose connective tissue containing many blood vessels. Although it is located quite close to the nerve tissue, it is not in contact with nerve cells or fibers. Between the pia mater and the neural elements is a thin layer of neuroglial processes, adhering firmly to the pia mater and forming a physical barrier at the periphery of the central nervous system. This barrier separates the central nervous system from the cerebrospinal fluid. The pia mater follows all the irregularities of the surface of the central nervous system and penetrates it to some extent along with the blood vessels. Squamous cells of mesenchymal origin cover pia mater. Blood vessels penetrate the central nervous system through tunnels covered by pia mater—the perivascular spaces. The pia mater disappears before the blood vessels are transformed into capillaries. In the central nervous system, the blood capillaries are completely covered by expansions of the neuroglial cell processes.