Question

Why injury to the medulla oblongata leads to death?

Answer 1

Hint:-The brain is an important organ of the body and it works to control and coordinate the different functions of the body. The brain is divided into three important parts which are the forebrain, midbrain and the hindbrain. The medulla oblongata is a segment of the hindbrain.

Complete step-by-step solution:-
The medulla oblongata is the lowest part of the hindbrain. It lies inferior to the pons and anterior to the cerebellum. The medulla oblongata appears to be continuous with the spinal cord. The upper region of the medulla makes the fourth cerebral ventricle. The lower portion of the medulla narrows done to form portions of the central canal of the spinal cord.
The medulla oblongata consists of the different parts such as the median fissures, olivary bodies, pyramids and the Fasciculus gracilis. The median fissures are the shallow grooves present at the anteroposterior part of the medulla. The paired oval bodies on the medulla surface are known as olivary bodies and they connect the medulla with the pons and cerebellum. Pyramids are nerve fibers that connect the medulla with the spinal cord and the cerebral cortex while the Fasciculus gracilis is a bundle of nerve fibers that moves from the spinal cord to the medulla.
THe medulla oblongata is involved in several important functions of the body that are related to sensory, motor and mental processes. It is the control center for cardiovascular and respiratory systems. It helps to regularize the heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate and other such life important processes. It controls several involuntary reflexes and coordinates the movement of the eye.
In case of injury caused to the medulla oblongata, many sensory and respiratory processes are affected. Upon injury, several complications of both fatal and non-fatal types arise. The non-fatal complications include paralysis, numbness, difficulty in swallowing and lack of motor control. The medulla also controls the processes such as breathing, heart rate etc. any type of damage to the medulla can be fatal as these functions will be affected. The formation of clotting in this area of the brain will be dangerously fatal as it connects with the spinal cord and several types of sensory nerves move from this area to different parts of the body.

Note:- The medulla oblongata is an important structure as it serves as a control center for various activities such as sensory, respiratory and regulatory. It controls the different functioning of the heart and lungs. It is also responsible for voluntary actions such as movement of the eyes and other involuntary reflexes. The injury to the medulla oblongata proves to be fatal and can lead to death as basic processes such as respiration, maintaining the heart rate, blood pressure, as well as other sensory actions will be hampered.