| Rete mirabile | |
|---|---|
 Rete mirabile of a sheep | |
| Identifiers | |
| TA98 | A12.0.00.013 |
| TA2 | 3928 |
| FMA | 76728 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
A rete mirabile (Latin for "wonderful net"; pl.: retia mirabilia) is a complex of arteries and veins lying very close to each other, found in some vertebrates, mainly warm-blooded ones. The rete mirabile utilizes countercurrent blood flow within the net (blood flowing in opposite directions) to act as a countercurrent exchanger. It exchanges heat, ions, or gases between vessel walls so that the two bloodstreams within the rete maintain a gradient with respect to temperature, or concentration of gases or solutes. This term was coined by Galen.[1][2]
- ^ Grant, Mark (2000). Galen on Food and Diet. Routledge.
- ^ "Rete Mirabile". encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com. Retrieved 6 September 2012.