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medulla oblongata

American  

noun

Anatomy.
medulla oblongatas, plural medullae oblongatae plural
  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-gätə /
medulla oblongatas plural
  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.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

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.

See Examples For:

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

As in the previous phase, the complex neuromuscular actions are controlled by the medulla oblongata.

From Textbooks Jun. 19, 2013

Figure 19.32 Autonomic Innervation of the Heart Cardioaccelerator and cardioinhibitory areas are components of the paired cardiac centers located in the medulla oblongata of the brain.

From Textbooks Jun. 19, 2013

The paired vertebral arteries join together to form the large basilar artery at the base of the medulla oblongata.

From Textbooks Jun. 19, 2013

Situated on its floor are the fasciculi teretes, striae acusticae, and deposits of grey matter described in connexion with the medulla oblongata.

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

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