You searched for: “arachnoidea”
arachnoidea (s) (noun), arachnoideae (pl)
The middle of the three layers of the meninges or the membrances covering the brain and spinal cord.

The smooth external surface of the arachnoidea is closely applied between two other meninges, the more superficial "dura mater", while the inner roughened surface is separated from the "pia mater" by the subarachnoid space.

The delicate, spiderweb-like, or arachnoid layer, attached to the inside of the dura, surrounds the brain and spinal cord but does not line the brain down into its folds. In some locations the space is crossed by fine trabeculae.

This entry is located in the following unit: arachno-, arachn- + (page 2)
arachno-, arachn- +
(Greek: spider; the arachnoidea; when used in medicine this Greek element refers to a membrane, veins, or any web-like structure in the body)
Word Entries at Get Words: “arachnoidea”
Arachne, arachnida, arachnoidea
In Greek mythology, the most skillful weaver of Lydia who challenged the goddess Athena to a weaving contest.

Athena wove into her web the stories of those who had aroused the anger of the gods, while Arachne chose stories of the errors of the gods.

Enraged at the excellence of the work, Athena tore Arachne's web into pieces. Arachne hanged herself in grief and was transformed by Athena into a spider.

This was adopted as the spider family in science which includes scorpions, mites, and ticks.

The term arachnoid refers to anything that resembles a spider's web.

This entry is located in the following unit: Words from the Greek Myths (page 1)