(rē'tē )

Plural: retia

[L.]

A network; a plexus of nerves or blood vessels.

arterial r.A vascular arterial network just before the point where arteries become capillaries.

SEE: arterial.

articular r.A rete about a joint, esp. a deep anastomosis at the knee joint.

r. cutaneum A network of blood vessels at the junction of the dermis and superficial fascia.

malpighian r.Stratum germinativum.

r. mirabile A plexus formed by the abrupt division of a vessel into capillaries that reunite to form one vessel, as in the glomeruli of the kidneys.

r. olecrani A network of vessels at the back of the elbow formed by divisions of the recurrent ulnar arteries.

r. ovarii A layer of cells in the broad ligament and mesovarium of the ovary. It is homologous to the rete testis in men.

r. patellae A superficial network of vessels around the patella; formed by branches of genicular arteries.

r. subpapillare A network of vessels between the papillary and reticular layers of the dermis.

r. testis A network of tubules in the mediastinum testis that receives sperm through the tubuli recti from the seminiferous tubules. From the rete testis, efferent ducts convey sperm to the epididymis.

r. venosum Venous network.

vertebral r.One of two plexuses within the vertebral canal that extends from the foramen magnum to the coccyx. These retia lie posteriorly and laterally to the dura and between the dura and the arches of the vertebrae.