Medulla oblongata
structure of the brain stem / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The medulla oblongata (or medulla) is the lower half of the brainstem. It is just on top of the spinal cord. It connects the higher parts of the brain to the spinal cord (see the picture at the right of this page).[1]
The cardiac, respiratory, and vasomotor control centers are in the medulla. This means that the medulla controls heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and the size of the body's blood vessels. If the medulla did not work, the person would die.[1]