rete mirabile

Term ID

UBERON:0013218

Synonyms

• red body
• red gland
• rete mirabilia
• rete mirabilis
• retie mirabilia
• wonderful net

Definition

A rete mirabile (Latin for 'wonderful net'; plural retia mirabilia) is a complex of arteries and veins lying very close to each other, found in some vertebrates. The rete mirabile utilizes countercurrent blood flow within the net (blood flowing in opposite directions. ) 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. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rete_mirabile

References

• Rete:mirabile

Ontology

Uberon Ontology