Definition of "medulla oblongata" []

• The lowermost portion of the vertebrate brain, continuous with the spinal cord, responsible for the control of respiration, circulation, and certain other bodily functions. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.