Which statement best describes the function of the meninges?

Which statement best describes the function of the meninges?

• A. Protective membranes around the brain and spinal cord
• B. Blood for the brain
• C. Muscle tissue surrounding the brain
• D. Nerve tissue of the brain

Answer: (A)

The meninges act as protective membranes around the brain and spinal cord. They are three layers—dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater—that enclose the central nervous system, cushion neural tissue with cerebrospinal fluid in the subarachnoid space, and help anchor the brain within the skull. They also provide a barrier that helps defend against infection and contain the brain’s blood vessels. This explains why the other descriptions don’t fit: the brain’s blood comes from cerebral arteries, not the meninges; there isn’t muscle tissue around the brain called the meninges; and the meninges are not nerve tissue, even though they interact with neural structures.

The meninges act as protective membranes around the brain and spinal cord. They are three layers—dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater—that enclose the central nervous system, cushion neural tissue with cerebrospinal fluid in the subarachnoid space, and help anchor the brain within the skull. They also provide a barrier that helps defend against infection and contain the brain’s blood vessels. This explains why the other descriptions don’t fit: the brain’s blood comes from cerebral arteries, not the meninges; there isn’t muscle tissue around the brain called the meninges; and the meninges are not nerve tissue, even though they interact with neural structures.