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The term "rete" (plural: retia) in anatomy refers to a network, most commonly a network of blood vessels or nerves, also known as a plexus. It can also describe any anatomical part that resembles or includes a network. A specific type of rete is the rete mirabile, which is a dense network of blood vessels formed when a larger vessel breaks into branches that typically rejoin into a single trunk. This structure is believed to be important for oxygen storage in aquatic mammals. The term originates from the Latin word for "net".12

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