HealthAugust 5, 2026

microvasculature

MY-kro-VAS-kyuh-luh-cher

Definition

The smallest blood vessels in the body, including capillaries, arterioles, and venules, which provide oxygen and nutrients to tissues and organs.

Etymology

The word is a hybrid construction combining the Greek 'mikros' (small) and the Latin 'vasculum' (a small vessel), referring to the intricate network of the body's finest circulatory structures.

In the news

In the article, it explains that midlife vascular risk factors damage the brain's microvasculature, leading to issues like chronic hypoperfusion that eventually cause dementia.

Midlife Vascular Health Adds Nearly 13 Dementia-Free Years

Read the full article ↗

Neuroscience News

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