The meninges.
Greek mēninx, mēning‑, membrane.
The meninges are the membranes that line the skull and enclose the brain and spinal cord; meningitis is an often severe disease involving inflammation of them, perhaps caused by the bacterium meningococcus (Greek kokkos, berry); a meningocele (Greek kēlē, tumour) is a protrusion of the meninges through a gap in the spine due to a congenital defect.
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