What is the rough thick leathery meningeal layer called?

Answer 1

The dura mater, is the outermost of the three layers of the meninges surrounding the brain and spinal cord. The other two meningeal layers are the pia mater and the arachnoid mater. The dura surrounds the brain and the spinal cord and is responsible for keeping in the cerebrospinal fluid. The name "dura mater" is derived from the Latin "hard mother"[1], and is also referred to by the term "pachymeninx" (plural "pachymeninges").[2] The dura has been described as "tough and inflexible" and "leather-like".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dura_mater

The pia mater (pronounced /ˈpaɪ.ə ˈmeɪtər/, from Latin "tender mother") is the delicate innermost layer of the meninges-the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. The thin, mesh-like pia mater closely envelops the entire surface of the brain, running down into the fissures of the cortex

pia mater.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pia_mater

Answer 2

The rough thick leathery meningeal layers that surround the brain and spinal cord are triple layered membranes called meninges. The outer meninges layer, called dura mater, is the toughest and thickest. The middle layer is called the arachnoid layer, from the Greek arakhnoeidēs meaning "like a spider's web", and the inner meninges, mostly small blood vessels that fit snugly around the of the surface of the brain, is called pia mater. (Note that the spelling of mater when referring to meninges does not have a double 't' as in matter.)