dura mater
(DER-uh MAY-ter)
The tough outer layer of tissue that covers and protects the brain and spinal cord and is closest to the skull. The dura mater is one of the three layers that form the meninges.
The NIH Clinical Center (the research hospital of NIH) is open. For more details about its operating status, please visit cc.nih.gov.
Updates regarding government operating status and resumption of normal operations can be found at opm.gov.