Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAnatomyFunctionAssociated ConditionsEvaluations
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Anatomy
Function
Associated Conditions
Evaluations
Themedulla oblongatais a tail-like structure at the base of the brain that connects the brain to the spinal cord. It carries signals from the brain to the rest of the body for essential life functions like breathing, circulation, swallowing, and digestion.
While every part of the brain is important in its own way, the work of the medulla oblongata is essential for sustaining life.
This article explains the anatomy and function of the medulla oblongata and conditions that can affect it.
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Medulla Oblongata Anatomy
There are three structures located in front of thecerebellum(the part of the hindbrain responsible for coordinating movement). These structures sit at the base of the brain (brainstem) and connect to the spinal cord.They include:
The cone-shaped medulla oblongata sits beneath the midbrain and pons. It contains both white and gray matter.
What Is White and Gray Matter?
Gray matter is the tissue on the surface of the brain. It contains neuron cell bodies, which give it its gray color.
White Matter in the Brain
The medulla oblongata is divided into two parts:
The superior section connects to the brain’s fourthventricle(one of the cavities filled with cerebral spinal fluid), while the inferior section connects to thespinal cord.
The brainstem—including the midbrain, pons, and medulla—houses the starting points of 10 of the 12cranial nerves.
Function of the Medulla Oblongata
The cranial nerves—a dozen pairs of nerves that link your brain to your head, neck, and torso—facilitate the work of the brainstem.
Of the 10 cranial nerves that begin in the brainstem, nerves nine through 12 start in the medulla oblongata:
Nerves three through eight begin in the midbrain and pons.
Together, all sections of the brainstem and their nerves relay signals from the brain to the spinal cord and then to the rest of the body to control theautonomic nervous system. This system is responsible for most basic life functions that the body performs without thought, including:
The Anatomy of the Brain
Rarely, malformations in the medulla can occur at birth. However, many problems with this area occur due to physical injury. In addition, they may happen due to drug overdoses or strokes.
When the medulla is damaged, the critical functions of that part of the brain can result in severe disability orbrain death. Without the function of the brainstem, survival is not possible.
In addition to injury, several specific conditions can affect the medulla oblongata.
Lateral Medullary Syndrome (Wallenberg Syndrome)
Symptoms of this syndrome include:
Stroke of the Medulla Oblongata: What Happens, Survival Rate, and More
Medial Medullary Syndrome
A blockage in the vertebral or spinal artery causes medial medullary syndrome. This condition results from a lack of blood flow through parts of the medulla. It can cause paralysis in the legs, arm, face, and tongue.
Bilateral Medial Medullary Syndrome
Bilateral medial medullary syndrome is a rare combination of lateral medullary syndrome and medial medullary syndrome.
Brainstem Stroke Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Syndromes
Evaluating the Medulla Oblongata
Detecting damage to the medulla and other brainstem parts can be difficult. That’s because people who have brain injuries may not be able to fully participate in an examination.
The following are a few examples of tests that may help determine the level of function in the brainstem:
Summary
The medulla oblongata is one of three parts of the brainstem. Ten of the 12 cranial nerves begin in the brainstem. Of those, four begin in the medulla oblongata. These nerves control swallowing, taste, breathing, heart function, digestion, upper back and neck muscles, and tongue movement.
Injuries and strokes most commonly cause problems with the medulla oblongata. Tests to determine damage in the brainstem may include scans and functional tests.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Anatomy of the brain.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.White matter of the brain.Iordanova R, Reddivari AKR.Neuroanatomy, medulla oblongata. StatPearls.Kato S, Takikawa M, Ishihara S, Yokoyama A, Kato M.Pathologic reappraisal of Wallenberg syndrome: a pathologic distribution study and analysis of literature.Yonago Acta Med. 2014;57(1):1-14.Ebraheem AA, Dafallah MA, Mohamamed KAY.Lateral medullary syndrome in a resources limited hospital: a rare clinical anatomical variation of ischemic stroke.Clin Case Rep. 2024;12(6):e8976. doi:10.1002/ccr3.8976Feldman KM, O’Keefe YA, Gignac PM, O’Brien HD.Highest resolution microCT scan of the human brainstem reveals putative anatomical basis for infrequency of medial medullary syndrome.Neuroimage Clin. 2022;36:103272. doi:10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103272Lau KF, Tan KS, Goh KJ, Ramli N, Tai SM.A rare but disabling stroke.Ann Acad Med Singap. 2019;48(3):109-111. doi:10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.V48N3p109Benghanem S, Mazeraud A, Azabou E, et al.Brainstem dysfunction in critically ill patients.Crit Care. 2020;24(1):5. doi:10.1186/s13054-019-2718-9Krainik A, Casselman JW.Imaging evaluation of patients with cranial nerve disorders. In: Hodler J, Kubik-Huch RA, von Schulthess GK, eds.Diseases of the Brain, Head and Neck, Spine 2020–2023. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing; 2020:143-161. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-38490-6_12
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Anatomy of the brain.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.White matter of the brain.Iordanova R, Reddivari AKR.Neuroanatomy, medulla oblongata. StatPearls.Kato S, Takikawa M, Ishihara S, Yokoyama A, Kato M.Pathologic reappraisal of Wallenberg syndrome: a pathologic distribution study and analysis of literature.Yonago Acta Med. 2014;57(1):1-14.Ebraheem AA, Dafallah MA, Mohamamed KAY.Lateral medullary syndrome in a resources limited hospital: a rare clinical anatomical variation of ischemic stroke.Clin Case Rep. 2024;12(6):e8976. doi:10.1002/ccr3.8976Feldman KM, O’Keefe YA, Gignac PM, O’Brien HD.Highest resolution microCT scan of the human brainstem reveals putative anatomical basis for infrequency of medial medullary syndrome.Neuroimage Clin. 2022;36:103272. doi:10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103272Lau KF, Tan KS, Goh KJ, Ramli N, Tai SM.A rare but disabling stroke.Ann Acad Med Singap. 2019;48(3):109-111. doi:10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.V48N3p109Benghanem S, Mazeraud A, Azabou E, et al.Brainstem dysfunction in critically ill patients.Crit Care. 2020;24(1):5. doi:10.1186/s13054-019-2718-9Krainik A, Casselman JW.Imaging evaluation of patients with cranial nerve disorders. In: Hodler J, Kubik-Huch RA, von Schulthess GK, eds.Diseases of the Brain, Head and Neck, Spine 2020–2023. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing; 2020:143-161. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-38490-6_12
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Anatomy of the brain.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.White matter of the brain.Iordanova R, Reddivari AKR.Neuroanatomy, medulla oblongata. StatPearls.Kato S, Takikawa M, Ishihara S, Yokoyama A, Kato M.Pathologic reappraisal of Wallenberg syndrome: a pathologic distribution study and analysis of literature.Yonago Acta Med. 2014;57(1):1-14.Ebraheem AA, Dafallah MA, Mohamamed KAY.Lateral medullary syndrome in a resources limited hospital: a rare clinical anatomical variation of ischemic stroke.Clin Case Rep. 2024;12(6):e8976. doi:10.1002/ccr3.8976Feldman KM, O’Keefe YA, Gignac PM, O’Brien HD.Highest resolution microCT scan of the human brainstem reveals putative anatomical basis for infrequency of medial medullary syndrome.Neuroimage Clin. 2022;36:103272. doi:10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103272Lau KF, Tan KS, Goh KJ, Ramli N, Tai SM.A rare but disabling stroke.Ann Acad Med Singap. 2019;48(3):109-111. doi:10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.V48N3p109Benghanem S, Mazeraud A, Azabou E, et al.Brainstem dysfunction in critically ill patients.Crit Care. 2020;24(1):5. doi:10.1186/s13054-019-2718-9Krainik A, Casselman JW.Imaging evaluation of patients with cranial nerve disorders. In: Hodler J, Kubik-Huch RA, von Schulthess GK, eds.Diseases of the Brain, Head and Neck, Spine 2020–2023. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing; 2020:143-161. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-38490-6_12
American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Anatomy of the brain.
National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.White matter of the brain.
Iordanova R, Reddivari AKR.Neuroanatomy, medulla oblongata. StatPearls.
Kato S, Takikawa M, Ishihara S, Yokoyama A, Kato M.Pathologic reappraisal of Wallenberg syndrome: a pathologic distribution study and analysis of literature.Yonago Acta Med. 2014;57(1):1-14.
Ebraheem AA, Dafallah MA, Mohamamed KAY.Lateral medullary syndrome in a resources limited hospital: a rare clinical anatomical variation of ischemic stroke.Clin Case Rep. 2024;12(6):e8976. doi:10.1002/ccr3.8976
Feldman KM, O’Keefe YA, Gignac PM, O’Brien HD.Highest resolution microCT scan of the human brainstem reveals putative anatomical basis for infrequency of medial medullary syndrome.Neuroimage Clin. 2022;36:103272. doi:10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103272
Lau KF, Tan KS, Goh KJ, Ramli N, Tai SM.A rare but disabling stroke.Ann Acad Med Singap. 2019;48(3):109-111. doi:10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.V48N3p109
Benghanem S, Mazeraud A, Azabou E, et al.Brainstem dysfunction in critically ill patients.Crit Care. 2020;24(1):5. doi:10.1186/s13054-019-2718-9
Krainik A, Casselman JW.Imaging evaluation of patients with cranial nerve disorders. In: Hodler J, Kubik-Huch RA, von Schulthess GK, eds.Diseases of the Brain, Head and Neck, Spine 2020–2023. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing; 2020:143-161. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-38490-6_12
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