foramen magnum

  hi, it's me the court reporter once again.  okay this time this is like
  a game of jeopardy.  i am taking testimony of a neurosurgeon and i was
  able to understand his answer fairly ok, however it is the question that
  i am having a problem with.  if i jot down the answer, could you help me
  figure out what the question is.  i have a feeling that the question is
  what is foramen magnum, but my notes do not reflect that.  also if any
  part of the answer does not make sense, help me out with suggestions.
  here goes the answer:  Where the spinal canal(cord?) enters the skull it
  goes through a foramen magnum.  it's a very long hole inot the skull at
  the base of the skull, and the spinal cord passes through that hole and the
  spinal cord then, in fact, becomes part of the brain, or the brain
  becomes a continuation of that.  and congenitally, if that hole is
  larger than it should be, many times the contents of the brain on the
  other side of the foramen are herniated.
  
  thanx
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Thanks for your question.  In reading the neuro-surgeon's answer, the
question definitely referred to the "Foramen Magnum", which is the
largest opening in the base of the skull.  Articular surfaces around
the foramen magnum articulates the skull with the first cervical vertebrae.
I hope this information is helpful.  Best of luck.