oblongata
Brain's lower extension
Oblongata appears almost exclusively in the phrase medulla oblongata, the lower portion of the brainstem that connects the brain to the spinal cord and controls vital involuntary functions like breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure.
The Latin term means "elongated marrow," describing its shape.
Outside of anatomy classes and medical contexts, oblongata is rarely encountered on its own.
Innermost organ tissue
- brainstemLower neural trunk
- ponsBrainstem relay station
- cerebellumMovement coordination organ
- cranialOf the skull
hindbrain · spinal cord · vertebral · pyramids · olives · nuclei · gray matter · white matter
Gas exchange in organisms
- heartbeatRhythmic cardiac contraction
- breathingPulmonary gas exchange
- cardiacPertaining to the heart
- autonomicSelf-regulating without awareness
reflex · swallowing · vomiting · coughing · sneezing · blood pressure · vasomotor · chemoreceptors
Sudden brain blood blockage
- lesionArea of pathological change
- infarctionTissue necrosis from ischemia
- hemorrhageProfuse discharge of blood
- compressionForcing into smaller space
trauma · tumor · damage · paralysis · apnea · dysphagia · herniation · locked-in syndrome
Study of nervous system structure
- histologyStudy of tissue structure
- dissectionAnatomical cutting and examination
- specimenIndividual for examination
- researchSystematic fact-finding effort
laboratory · textbook · nomenclature · Latin · elongated · structure · morphology · cross-section
medulla
Innermost organ tissue
- brainstemLower neural trunk
- ponsBrainstem relay station
- cerebellumMovement coordination organ
cranial · hindbrain · spinal cord · vertebral · pyramids · olives · nuclei · gray matter · white matter · ventral
respiration
Gas exchange in organisms
autonomic · reflex · swallowing · vomiting · coughing · sneezing · blood pressure · vasomotor · chemoreceptors · vital functions
stroke
Sudden brain blood blockage
- lesionArea of pathological change
- infarctionTissue necrosis from ischemia
- hemorrhageProfuse discharge of blood
compression · trauma · tumor · damage · paralysis · apnea · dysphagia · herniation · locked-in syndrome · ischemia
neuroanatomy
Study of nervous system structure
- histologyStudy of tissue structure
- dissectionAnatomical cutting and examination
- specimenIndividual for examination
research · laboratory · textbook · nomenclature · Latin · elongated · structure · morphology · cross-section · staining
oblongatacerebral cortex
Brain's outer neural sheet
neocortex · cerebrum · prefrontal cortex · frontal lobe · forebrain
- medulla oblongataLower brainstem structure