medulla oblongata

Your medulla oblongata (med-oo-la ob-long-ah-ta), often just called the medulla, is a key part of your nervous system. It’s key not only because of its location but also because of what it controls. Some of its jobs include:

Manages heart, circulation and breathing. Your medulla is where your cardiovascular and respiratory systems link together into a united system that controls your heart rate, breathing, blood pressure and more.

Manages other automatic processes. These are things that your body often does without you having to think about them. Some examples include coughing, sneezing, swallowing, vomiting and maintaining your balance.

Nerve connections. The vast majority of major nerves converge at your spine, carrying signals to and from your brain. That means those signals must pass through your medulla. Four of your 12 cranial nerves (which connect areas of your throat and tongue directly to your brain) pass through your medulla.

Crossover point. your medulla is the location of a region called “the pyramids,” where most of the movement-related nerves in your body crisscross. That crossover is why one side of your brain almost always controls parts on the opposite side of your body.