Chapter 42 – The Animal Body and Principles of Regulation
Multiple Choice Questions
Adult giraffes can be up to 20 ft. tall, and thus require special adaptations to maintain
appropriate blood pressure. One adaptation is the rete mirabile, a group of blood vessels that
form a web or net-like structure to slow blood flow.
63. The giraffe, as the tallest living land animal, has several adaptations for its height. To
prevent blood from pooling in the head when it bends down to drink, the jugular veins of a
giraffe have multiple one-way valves. Furthermore, a web of arteries and veins in the neck
called the rete mirabile (“wonderful net”) slows the flow of blood into the brain. These
specializations of the ______________________ act as mechanisms to maintain
______________________.