What it means
The medulla oblongata connects the brain to the spinal cordSPY-nul KORDThe long bundle of nerves that runs down through the backbone and carries messages between the brain and the body.Full entry and controls automatic functions needed for life: breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, swallowing, coughing and vomiting. Pressure on it, such as from brain swelling pushing downward, is life-threatening. Other organs have a medulla too: the adrenal medulla makes epinephrine and norepinephrine, and the renal medulla is the inner part of the kidney.
At a glance
| Spanish | médula, bulbo raquídeo |
|---|---|
| Also written | medulla oblongata, medullary |
Related terms
intracranial pressure
The pressure inside the skull, made by the brain, the blood and the fluid around the brain.
autonomic
Working on its own, without conscious control; used for the nerves that run the organs.
adrenocorticotropic hormone
A hormone from the pituitary gland that tells the adrenal glands to make cortisol.
nephron
The tiny filtering unit of the kidney, where blood is filtered and urine is made.