Meninges and CSF Production

Question 1

What are the meninges?

Answer 1

Protective continuous coverings of the brain and spinal cord

Question 2

What are the three meninges that protect the brain?

Answer 2

Dura mater, arachnoid mater and pia mater

Question 3

What nerve gives sensory innervation to the dura mater?

Answer 3

CN V

Question 4

What structure does the dura mater enclose?

Answer 4

The dural venous sinuses

Question 5

What are the two layers of the dura mater?

Answer 5

Periosteal = attaches to bone
Meningeal = attaches to other meninges
Make the dura mater tough and thick

Question 6

What is the function of the dural venous sinuses?

Answer 6

Drain deoxygenated blood from the brain

Question 7

What does the arachnoid mater look like?

Answer 7

A spider’s web = contains arachnoid granulations

Question 8

Where is the subarachnoid space located?

Answer 8

Between the arachnoid mater and the pia mater

Question 9

What does the subarachnoid space contain?

Answer 9

Circulating CSF and blood vessels

Question 10

What is special about the pia mater?

Answer 10

It completely adheres to the brain (including all of the sulci etc)

Question 11

What does the CSF surround?

Answer 11

Completely surrounds the brain and spinal cord (both internally and externally)

Question 12

At what level can the subarachnoid space be accessed via lumbar puncture?

Answer 12

At L3/4 level or L4/5 level

Question 13

What level does the subarachnoid space end at?

Answer 13

S2 level

Question 14

What plane are the third and fourth ventricles located in?

Answer 14

Both located in midline

Question 15

Where do the right and left ventricles meet?

Answer 15

At the third ventricle

Question 16

What does the cerebral aqueduct connect?

Answer 16

Flows down from third ventricle to connect is to the fourth ventricle

Question 17

What is the largest of the dural venous sinuses?

Answer 17

The superior sagittal sinus

Question 18

What produces CSF?

Answer 18

The choroid plexus = epithelium/modified pia located in the lateral and third ventricles

Question 19

How does CSF flow through the ventricles?

Answer 19

Passes in the right and left ventricles , and then into the third ventricle before moving down the cerebral aqueduct to the fourth ventricle

Question 20

Where does CSF go once it has left the fourth ventricle?

Answer 20

Most passes into the subarachnoid space, but some passes into central canal of the spinal cord

Question 21

What reabsorbs the CSF into the dural venous sinuses?

Answer 21

Arachnoid granulations = out-pouches of arachnoid mater

Question 22

What happens to CSF once it enters the dural venous sinuses?

Answer 22

Passes around body with deoxygenated blood for recycling