mater

ma·ter

(mā'tĕr),

The "sheltering" coverings of the central nervous system. See: arachnoid mater, dura mater, pia mater.

[L. mother]

NLRP5

A gene located on chromosome 19q13.43 that encodes a member of the NALP protein family, which is only expressed in oocytes and thought to be required for normal early embryogenesis.

ma·ter

(mā'ter)

The "sheltering" coverings of the central nervous system.
See: arachnoid mater, dura mater, pia mater

[L. mother]

mater

(mat'er) [L. mater, mother]

Non-neural tissue coverings of the brain and spinal cord; meninges.

arachnoid mater

Arachnoid membrane.

dura mater

The outermost meninx, a tough sheet of fibrous connective tissue that completely envelops the brain and spinal cord inside the skull and vertebral canal. Inside the skull, there is no epidural space, and the dural envelope is fused with the inner periosteum of the skull bones. Inside the vertebral canal, however, the dural envelope is separated from the vertebral bone by an epidural space filled with fat and a network of veins.

Synonym: dural membrane

pia mater

The innermost meninx, adelicate membrane coating the surfaces of the brain and spinal cord and closely following all their surface contours. In most places, the pia mater is one cell thick. It encloses the surface blood vessels of the brain, and it follows the arteries as they dive into the brain tissue. It appears that the pial membrane is part of the blood-brain barrier, a set of physiological constraints that restrict diffusion of many blood-borne molecules into the tissues of the brain.

Synonym: pial membrane