Abstract
ALTHOUGH a carotid rete mirabile is present in many mammals, notably the artiodactyla, its function is uncertain. Many workers have suggested that the rete may regulate the cerebral blood-flow1,2, but emphasis has usually been laid on its effect on the arteries rather than the veins. However, an alternative possibility is that the rete is concerned primarily with assisting the venous return from the interior of the cranium, which is especially liable to be embarrassed in animals that feed with the head dependent. Enhancement of the blood-flow in veins is known to be a function of certain retia mirabilia elsewhere3.
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BARNETT, C., MARSDEN, C. Functions of the Mammalian Carotid Rete Mirabile. Nature 191, 88–89 (1961). https://doi.org/10.1038/191088a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/191088a0
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