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communicating artery

communicating artery

1 6.8
A blood vessel in the brain that links major blood vessels to keep blood flowing
  • noun
  • /ˌkɒmjʊˈneɪtɪŋ ˈɑːrtəri/
  • Specialized
translation icon : arteria comunicante
  • The communicating artery plays a crucial role in cerebral circulation.

Examples

  • Aneurysms can sometimes occur on the posterior communicating artery, leading to neurological symptoms.

  • The communicating artery plays a crucial role in maintaining consistent blood flow within the brain.

  • In medical imaging, a blocked communicating artery may be identified during a stroke diagnosis.

  • There are two communicating arteries located in the brain.

  • The anterior communicating artery connects the left and right cerebral hemispheres.

  • Surgeons carefully examined the communicating artery during the brain surgery.

  • The communicating artery played a crucial role in supplying blood to the surrounding brain tissue.

Synonyms

arteria communicans
vscommunicating artery
  • Specialized
9.9

A blood vessel in the brain that connects other vessels to form a circle

connect major brain arteries to allow blood flow between arterial branches

Surface Forms

Morphology

communicate + artery

The meaning — an artery that connects other arteries — is directly derivable from 'communicating' (acting to communicate/connect) plus 'artery' (a blood vessel). This is a compositional, descriptive medical naming pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituent words would very likely understand the term.

Etymology

Communicating artery gets its name from a simple image: artery is a blood vessel and communicating means 'connecting' or 'sharing'. Think of them as small bridges between the big blood highways of the brain, so they 'communicate' blood and help keep the flow steady.