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medulla oblongata
(mә-dulīә ob″long-gaītә)
a part of the rhombencephalon (hindbrain) that is continuous with the pons above and the spinal cord below. Here the great trunk nerves, both motor and sensory, cross over between left and right, producing the puzzling phenomenon
by which the left cerebral hemisphere controls the right half of the body and the right hemisphere controls the left half of the body. This portion of the brain
also contains nerve centers that activate the heart, blood vessels, and respiratory system.

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