The dura mater is one of the meningeal layers that cover the brain and spinal cord. Some key points about the dura mater:

• It is the outermost and toughest of the three meningeal layers that protect the central nervous system. The other two layers are the arachnoid mater and pia mater.
• Made of dense irregular connective tissue, the dura mater encloses the arachnoid mater and pia mater as well as the brain and spinal cord.
• It contains blood vessels that supply blood to the brain and spinal cord and has specializations such as the falx cerebri and tentorium cerebelli that separate and support parts of the brain.
• The dura mater has two layers - an outer periosteal layer and an inner meningeal layer. The periosteal layer lines the inside of the skull while the meningeal layer covers the brain.
• It surrounds and supports the venous sinuses and protects veins and arteries inside the skull as they enter the brain.
• The dura mater has infoldings that divide the brain into sections. For example, the falx cerebri separates the brain's two hemispheres while the tentorium cerebelli separates the cerebrum from the cerebellum.

In summary, the durable dura mater forms the outermost protective covering around the brain and spinal cord, containing blood vessels, venous sinuses and specializations to separate and support central nervous system structures.