| Term: | basal communicating artery pericyte |
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| Note: | This page represents a term created by the combination ("post-composition") of two ontology terms. For more information on the individual terms, click the hyperlinked name. |
| Name: | basal communicating artery |
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| Synonyms: | BCA |
| Definition: | Artery that extends horizontally across the brain midline which is fed by the caudal division of the internal carotid artery. Three pairs of central arteries extend from the basal communicating artery (BCA), the anterior, middle and posterior mesencephalic central arteries. The BCA does not correspond to the anterior communicating artery of the mammalian circle of Willis. The BCA is unpaired. |
| Ontology: | Anatomy Ontology [ZFA:0005000] |
| Name: | pericyte |
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| Synonyms: | pericytes, perivascular cell |
| Definition: | An elongated, contractile cell found wrapped about precapillary arterioles outside the basement membrane. Pericytes are present in capillaries where proper adventitial and muscle layer are missing (thus distinguishing this cell type from adventitial cells). They are relatively undifferentiated and may become fibroblasts, macrophages, or smooth muscle cells. |
| Ontology: | Anatomy Ontology [ZFA:0009112] |