Final answer:
During a craniotomy, the brain surface is protected with moist cottonoid strips to prevent damage to the delicate brain tissue and maintain a moist environment that is crucial for tissue health.
Step-by-step explanation:
During a craniotomy, the brain surface is protected with moist cottonoid strips. These specialized surgical sponges are designed to provide a gentle cushion and protect the brain tissue by maintaining a moist environment, which is essential during surgical procedures to prevent tissue desiccation and damage. It's important to understand that while the meninges, composed of the dura mater, pia mater, and arachnoid mater, provide natural protection to the brain, additional measures such as using moist cottonoid strips are taken during surgery to safeguard the delicate structures of the brain.