Editing Rete mirabile (section)

{{Short description|Complex of arteries and veins lying very close to each other}}
{{Infobox anatomy
| Name        = Rete mirabile
| Latin       =
| Image       = Circulus arteriosus schaf.jpg
| Caption     = Rete mirabile of a sheep
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| Caption2    =
| Precursor   =
| System      =
| Artery      =
| Vein        =
| Nerve       =
| Lymph       =
}}
A '''rete mirabile''' ([[Latin]] for "wonderful net"; {{plural form}}: '''retia mirabilia''') is a complex of [[artery|arteries]] and [[vein]]s lying very close to each other, found in some [[vertebrate]]s, mainly [[warm-blooded]] ones. The rete mirabile utilizes countercurrent blood flow within the net (blood flowing in opposite directions) to act as a [[countercurrent exchange]]r. It exchanges [[heat]], [[ion]]s, or [[gas]]es 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]].<ref name="Mark Grant 2000">{{cite book | first = Mark | last = Grant | date = 2000 | title = Galen on Food and Diet | publisher = Routledge }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Rete Mirabile | website = encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com | url = http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Rete+Mirabile | access-date = 6 September 2012}}</ref>