What is a circle of Willis?

The Circle of Willis is the joining area of several arteries at the bottom (inferior) side of the brain. At the Circle of Willis, the internal carotid arteries branch into smaller arteries that supply oxygenated blood to over 80\% of the cerebrum.

What is circle of Willis and why is it important?

The circle of Willis acts to provide collateral blood flow between the anterior and posterior circulations of the brain, protecting against ischemia in the event of vessel disease or damage in one or more areas.

What is the function of the circle of Willis quizlet?

Circle of Willis – What is it? It is a circulatory anastomosis (connection between blood arteries)that supplies blood to the brain and surrounding structures.

What does the circle of Willis control?

The main function of the circle of Willis is to provide a collateral blood flow between the anterior and posterior arterial systems of the brain. Additionally, it offers the alternate blood flow pathways between the right and left cerebral hemispheres.

Why is it called circle of Willis?

The circle of Willis gets its name from the physician Thomas Willis, who described this part of the anatomy in 1664. It may play a passive role in protecting a person from some health issues, such as stroke. However, it has an association with intracranial aneurysms.

How is the circle of Willis formed?

The circle of Willis begins to form when the right and left internal carotid artery (ICA) enters the cranial cavity and each one divides into two main branches: the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) and middle cerebral artery (MCA).

Why is it called the circle of Willis?

Which two arteries supply the circle of Willis?

What forms the circle of Willis?

Who discovered the circle of Willis?

Thomas Willis
Thomas Willis (1621-1675) (Figure 7) is best known for his description and figuration of the circle of Willis.

The Circle of Willis is an arterial circle at the base of the brain. The circle of Willis receives all the blood that is pumped up the two internal carotid arteries that come up the front of the neck and that is pumped from the basilar artery formed by the union of the two vertebral arteries that come up the back of the neck.

What is the circle of Willis and why is it important?

The circle of Willis also allows blood to flow across the midline of the brain if an artery on one side is occluded. The circle of Willis thereby serves a safety valve function for the brain, allowing collateral circulation (or flow of blood through an alternate route) to take place if the flow is reduced to one area.

What does circle of Willis stand for?

The circle of Willis (cerebral arterial circle or circulus arteriosus) is an anastomotic ring of arteries located at the base of the brain. This arterial anastomotic circle connects the two major arterial systems to the brain, the internal carotid arteries and the vertebrobasilar (vertebral and basilar arteries) systems.

What is the function of circle of Willis?

The circle of Willis provides important communications between the blood supply of the forebrain and hindbrain and allows equalization of blood-flow between the two sides of the brain in addition to providing anastomotic circulation when a part of the circulation gets occluded.