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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-gä′tə /
  • 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

It consists of the midbrain, medulla oblongata, and the pons.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

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

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

The myelencephalon corresponds to the adult structure known as the medulla oblongata.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

The grey matter of the medulla oblongata, which contains numerous multipolar nerve cells, is in part continuous with the grey matter of the spinal cord, and in part consists of independent masses.

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

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