oblongata : Idioms & Phrases

• noun lower or hindmost part of the brain; continuous with spinal cord; (`bulb' is an old term for medulla oblongata)
  bulb; medulla.
  
  • the medulla oblongata is the most vital part of the brain because it contains centers controlling breathing and heart functioning

WordNet

• . L., oblong medulla (Anat.), the posterior part of the brain connected with the spinal cord. It includes all the hindbrain except the cerebellum and pons, and from it a large part of the cranial nerves arise. It controls very largely respiration, circulation, swallowing, and other functions, and is the most vital part of the brain; called also bulb of the spinal cord. See Brain.

Webster 1913