[FRIAM] looking for a word

[uǝlƃ ☣]

Rete mirable would definitely not apply.  It suffers from the same criticism I have of "plexus", the implication that the threads don't intersect but are braided.  And anastomosis is wrong, too, because it's focus is on shunting, regardless of whether such shunting is large (e.g. surgical) or tiny (as a result of, say, perfusion), where its result may look like or have other superficial similarities to a stable, space-filling, morphogenetic purpose.  It's reasonable to call the peri-portal subgraph anastomotic, but inappropriate for the peri-central subgraph where it looks much more like a plexus (to me, anyway).  It seems plausible to me (with no credibility) that the extent of the shunting might be a function of stellate cells and/or endothelial fenestration, over and above any effects of growth factors. Anastomoses are simply too "physical" looking to provide that as an *name* for the more well-organized growth structures.

In that respect, the sense of "anastomosis" is very similar to "canalization" or "alluvium", though.  It's like the somewhat fossilized end-result of some (complex) physical force.

Regardless, this has been a fantastic discussion.  I think, for now, I'm going to stick with afferent and efferent filtrations ... and in persnickety environments, I can always switch back to plexuses.

On 08/27/2018 08:47 PM, Vladimyr wrote:
> The Rete Mirable is two or more intimately woven systems that contain fluids. Fluids are in proximity but normally
> 
> never exchange contents, rather heat or gases flow/diffuse down to a lower concentration or gradient not the fluid.
> 
> Where the two systems engage, the gradient is the greatest where they terminate the gradient is near zero or equilibrium.
> 
>  
> 
> It is less than a perfect system in humans where a lymphatic system collects material leaking from capillaries. which also
> 
> collects cellular debris and provides a route for cancer cells to spread from organ to organ.

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