Bassett Collection of Stereoscopic Images of Human Anatomy

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Exploration of the meninges and brain in situ

Dura removed, arachnoid membrane intact, cerebral veins and cortical arteries

Image #1-4

KEYWORDS: Bones cartilage joints, Brain, Frontal lobe, Meninges, Parietal lobe, Scalp, Telencephalon, Temporal lobe, Vasculature, Overview.

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Higher resolution images are available for a fee. Contact Drew Bourn, PhD, MLIS.

Exploration of the meninges and brain in situ

Dura removed, arachnoid membrane intact, cerebral veins and cortical arteries

The dura mater has been cut away so that the left cerebral hemisphere is visible lying inside the arachnoid membrane. The tentorium appears in the lower right part of the view and the transverse sinus is opened along its posterior border. The superior sagittal sinus has been opened by removing a strip of dura from its superficial wall. The superior cerebral veins ascend on the surface of the frontal and parietal lobes to empty into this sinus at various points. A number of anastomoses are present between these veins, none being particularly large in this specimen. In general the superior cerebral veins are divided into anterior and posterior groups. In this case there appear to be several anterior vessels, a group of large veins intermediate in position (overlying the region of the central sulcus) and several posterior veins (not visible in this view).

1 .	Coronal suture
2 .	Superior sagittal sinus
3 .	Frontal bone
4 .	Branch anterior cerebral artery
5 .	Superior cerebral vein (anterior)
6 .	Artery of precentral sulcus
7 .	Anastomotic connection between anterior superior cerebral vein and middle cerebral vein
8 .	Middle cerebral vein
9 .	Dura mater
10 .	Temporalis muscle
11 .	Anterior temporal branch of middle cerebral artery
12 .	Parietal bone
13 .	Venous lacuna
14 .	Superior cerebral vein (overlying central sulcus)
15 .	Postcentral gyrus
16 .	Artery of central sulcus
17 .	Parietal branch of middle cerebral artery
18 .	Artery of postcentral sulcus
19 .	Inferior cerebral vein (lateral occipital vein)
20 .	Posterior temporal branch of middle cerebral artery
21 .	Tentorium cerebelli and transverse sinus
22 .	Small anastomotic vein of Labbé
23 .	Auricle