<P> The dura mater ( Latin : tough mother ) ( also rarely called meninx fibrosa or pachymeninx ) is a thick , durable membrane , closest to the skull and vertebrae . The dura mater , the outermost part , is a loosely arranged , fibroelastic layer of cells , characterized by multiple interdigitating cell processes , no extracellular collagen , and significant extracellular spaces . The middle region is a mostly fibrous portion . It consists of two layers : the endosteal layer , which lies closest to the calvaria ( skullcap ) , and the inner meningeal layer , which lies closer to the brain . It contains larger blood vessels that split into the capillaries in the pia mater . It is composed of dense fibrous tissue , and its inner surface is covered by flattened cells like those present on the surfaces of the pia mater and arachnoid mater . The dura mater is a sac that envelops the arachnoid mater and surrounds and supports the large dural sinuses carrying blood from the brain toward the heart . </P>
<P> The dura mater ( Latin : tough mother ) ( also rarely called meninx fibrosa or pachymeninx ) is a thick , durable membrane , closest to the skull and vertebrae . The dura mater , the outermost part , is a loosely arranged , fibroelastic layer of cells , characterized by multiple interdigitating cell processes , no extracellular collagen , and significant extracellular spaces . The middle region is a mostly fibrous portion . It consists of two layers : the endosteal layer , which lies closest to the calvaria ( skullcap ) , and the inner meningeal layer , which lies closer to the brain . It contains larger blood vessels that split into the capillaries in the pia mater . It is composed of dense fibrous tissue , and its inner surface is covered by flattened cells like those present on the surfaces of the pia mater and arachnoid mater . The dura mater is a sac that envelops the arachnoid mater and surrounds and supports the large dural sinuses carrying blood from the brain toward the heart . </P>
which layer of the meninges is closest to the skull bone
which layer of the meninges is closest to the skull bone
dura mater
dura mater