BIO 242 Study Guide - Final Guide: Pia Mater, Dura Mater, Cerebrospinal Fluid
Document Summary
Describe the protections for the brain-skull, meninges, cerebrospinal fluid, and the blood brain barrier. A clear, colorless body fluid found in the brain and spinal cord. Csf acts as a cushion or buffer for the brain, providing basic mechanical and immunological protection to the brain inside the skull. The meninges of the brain and spinal cord are continuous, being linked through the magnum foramen. Three layers of protective tissue that surround the neuraxis. The meningeal envelope that firmly adheres to the surface of the brain and spinal cord. The primary function of the meninges and of the cerebrospinal fluid is to protect the central nervous system. The pia mater and arachnoid together are called the leptomeninges. The blood brain barrier is composed of astrocytes-high-density cells restricting passage of substances from the bloodstream much more than do the endothelial cells in capillaries elsewhere in the body.
