Metarteriole

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Metarteriole

Metarteriole (pronunciation: met-ahr-TEER-ee-ohl) is a term used in anatomy and physiology to describe a short vessel that links arterioles and capillaries.

Etymology

The term "metarteriole" is derived from the Greek words "meta", meaning "after" or "beyond", and "arteriole", a small-diameter blood vessel in the microcirculation that extends and branches out from an artery and leads to capillaries.

Definition

A metarteriole is a type of blood vessel that acts as a shunt or shortcut between an arteriole and a venule, bypassing the capillary beds. This allows blood to flow directly from the arteriole to the venule, effectively controlling the blood flow into the capillaries.

Function

The primary function of metarterioles is to serve as a conduit for blood flow from arterioles to venules, bypassing the capillary beds. They play a crucial role in the regulation of blood flow and blood pressure, particularly in response to changes in the body's metabolic demands.

Related Terms

  • Artery: A blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart to the rest of the body.
  • Arteriole: A small-diameter blood vessel that extends and branches out from an artery and leads to capillaries.
  • Capillary: The smallest of the body's blood vessels, which connect arterioles to venules and enable the exchange of water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other nutrients and waste substances between the blood and the tissues.
  • Venule: A very small blood vessel that allows blood to return from the capillary beds to the larger blood vessels called veins.

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