rete mirabile

plural retia mirabilia · alternative rete mirabilis

1. anatomyA complex of blood vessels found in some vertebrates that preserves a gradient of a certain solute or particle, originally specifically the network of arterioles at the base of the brain in some ungulates and other mammals.First known use 15th c.

   His description of the rete mirabile, the network of arteries at the base of the brain, shows he dissected animals as well as human corpses, since it does not exist in humans.

   1997, Roy Porter, The Greatest Benefit to Mankind, Folio Society, published 2016, page 65

   1 more example

   In whales, the rete mirabile also allows oxygenated blood to be supplied to the brain slowly, helping to avoid the problems human beings experience when swimming at depth – principally the bends.

   2020, Tim Ecott, The Land of Maybe, Short Books, published 2021, page 175