Talk:Dura mater

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[edit] Arachnoid layer in photo?

According to the first diagram, there should be a "web-like" layer beneath the Dura Mater, but I am having a hard time finding it in the photo of the autopsy at the bottom of the page. It looks as if the brain matter is directly beneath the Dura Mater, I did not spot any substance between the two, is there an explanation for this? 74.12.87.83 06:09, 17 July 2007 (UTC)

The layer beneath the dura, the arachnoid mater is not easily distinguishable in this photo. It is much better seen in real life, in an anatomy lab with the aid of forceps to pull it up. As the name suggests, it has a spider-web-like consistency. The brain matter itself is quite different to this, as it is more uniform and a darker colour (especially in a prepared specimen in a lab). You can also see the gyri and sulci (the elevations and depressions of the brain matter) far better than you do when the arachnoid is covering it, as it is in this autopsy photo. The description for the photo also states that there is pus in the leptomeninges. This can also obscure visualisation of the arachnoid. Hope that is of some help to you.C3045051