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medulla oblongata

American  

noun

Anatomy.

plural

medulla oblongatas, medullae oblongatae

  1. the lowest or hindmost part of the brain, continuous with the spinal cord.

medulla oblongata British  
/ ˌɒblɒŋˈɡɑːtə /

noun

  1. the lower stalklike section of the brain, continuous with the spinal cord, containing control centres for the heart and lungs

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
medulla oblongata Scientific  
/ ŏb′lông-gä′tə /

plural

medulla oblongatas

  1. The lowermost portion of the brainstem in humans and other mammals. It is important in the reflex control of involuntary processes, including respiration, heartbeat, and blood pressure.

Etymology

Origin of medulla oblongata

1670–80; < New Latin: the long medulla

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The library nearly resembles the shape of a brain, with the entrance being the medulla oblongata and the robust flooring as the cerebellum.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 6, 2023

The respiratory center that provides autonomic control of breathing is part of the medulla oblongata.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

For example, the sight, smell, and taste of food initiate long reflexes that begin with a sensory neuron delivering a signal to the medulla oblongata.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

They signal the cardiovascular center as well as the respiratory centers in the medulla oblongata.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

The longitudinal fibres ascend from the medulla oblongata and leave the pons by emerging from its upper surface as fibres of the two crura cerebri.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 4 "Bradford, William" to "Brequigny, Louis" by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.