Editing Rete mirabile (section)

==Mammals==
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In [[mammal]]s, an elegant rete mirabile in the [[efferent arteriole]]s of [[juxtamedullary glomeruli]] is important in maintaining the [[Tonicity#Hypertonic solution|hypertonicity]] of the [[renal medulla]]. It is the hypertonicity of this zone, resorbing water [[osmosis|osmotically]] from the renal collecting ducts as they exit the [[kidney]], that makes possible the excretion of a hypertonic [[urine]] and maximum conservation of body water.

Vascular retia mirabilia are also found in the limbs of a range of mammals. These reduce the temperature in the extremities. Some of these probably function to prevent heat loss in cold conditions by reducing the temperature gradient between the limb and the environment. Others reduce the temperature of the [[testes]] increasing their productivity. In the neck of the [[dog]], a rete mirabile protects the brain when the body overheats during hunting; the venous blood is cooled down by panting before entering the net.

Retia mirabilia also occur frequently in mammals that burrow, dive or have arboreal lifestyles that involve clinging with the limbs for lengthy periods.   In the last case, slow-moving arboreal mammals such as sloths, lorises and arboreal anteaters possess retia of the highly developed type known as vascular bundles. The structure and function of these mammalian retia mirabilia are reviewed by O'Dea (1990).<ref>{{cite journal | last = O'Dea | first = J. D | date = 1990 | title = The mammalian ''Rete mirabile'' and oxygen availability | journal = Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A | volume = 95A | issue = 1 | pages = 23–25 | doi = 10.1016/0300-9629(90)90004-C }}</ref>

The ancient physician [[Galen]] mistakenly thought that [[human]]s also have a rete mirabile in the neck, apparently based on dissection of [[sheep]] and misidentifying the results with the human [[carotid sinus]], and ascribed important properties to it; it fell to [[Berengario da Carpi]] first, and then to [[Vesalius]] to demonstrate the error.