What is the Difference Between Medulla Oblongata and Spinal Cord

The key difference between medulla oblongata and spinal cord is that the medulla oblongata is a part of the brainstem that connects the brain to the spinal cord, while the spinal cord is a long tube-like band of nervous tissue that connects the brain to the lower back.

The medulla oblongata and spinal cord are two important parts of the central nervous system. The central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord. The brain has three main parts: cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem. Brainstem further divides into the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata. Moreover, the spinal cord begins at the bottom of the brain stem called medulla oblongata and ends in the lower back of the body.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Medulla Oblongata 
3. What is Spinal Cord
4. Similarities – Medulla Oblongata and Spinal Cord
5. Medulla Oblongata vs Spinal Cord in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Medulla Oblongata vs Spinal Cord

What is Medulla Oblongata?

The Medulla oblongata is the bottom-most part of the brain stem. It is located in the position where the brain and spinal cord connect each other. Therefore, the medulla oblongata connects the brain to the spinal cord. Structurally, it is a relatively small structure, only about one inch long. The medulla oblongata is a cone-shaped neuronal mass responsible for autonomic or involuntary functions ranging from vomiting to sneezing. Moreover, medulla oblongata has the centres of cardiac, respiratory, vomiting, and vasomotor. Therefore, it manages many of the most important autonomic functions of the body, such as breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and sleep-wake cycle. It also manages nerve connections (4 of the 12 cranial nerves go through the medulla oblongata).

Furthermore, there are several disorders that can cause damage to the medulla oblongata and impairment, such as medulla oblongata stroke (Wallenberg syndrome), brain aneurysm, brain tumors and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), and concussions.

What is a Spinal Cord?

The spinal cord and brain together make the central nervous system. The spinal cord is a long, tube-like, or cylindrical band of nerve tissue. It connects the brain to the lower back. Structurally, the spinal cord is about 18 inches (45 centimeters) long in adults. Moreover, the spinal cord carries nerve signals from the brain to the body and from the body to the brain. The spinal cord contains nerve bundles and cells that carry messages from the brain to the rest of the body and is covered or protected by a layer called a vertebral column. The spinal cord has three main parts: cervical (neck), thoracic (chest), and lumbar (lower back). The main functions of the spinal cord are controlling body movements and functions, reporting senses to the brain, and managing reflexes.

The common conditions that can affect the spinal cord include acute transverse myelitis, cervical spondylosis, herniated disk, spinal fractures, spinal muscular atrophy, spinal stenosis, and spinal tumours.

What are the Similarities Between Medulla Oblongata and Spinal Cord?

• The medulla oblongata and spinal cord are two important parts of the central nervous system.
• Where the spinal cord begins at the bottom of the brain stem called the medulla oblongata.
• Both perform important functions.
• They are affected by different disorders.

What is the Difference Between Medulla Oblongata and Spinal Cord?

The medulla oblongata is a part of the brainstem that connects the brain to the spinal cord, while the spinal cord is a long tube-like band of nervous tissue that connects the brain to the lower back. Thus, this is the key difference between medulla oblongata and spinal cord. Furthermore, the medulla oblongata is only about one inch long, while the spinal cord is about 18 inches (45 centimeters) long.

The below infographic presents the differences between medulla oblongata and spinal cord in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Medulla Oblongata vs Spinal Cord

The brain and the spinal cord together make the central nervous system. The spinal cord is a tube-like long cylindrical fragile structure. It begins at the end of the brain stem. It goes all the way to the lower back. Brainstem is a part of the brain. The medulla oblongata is the lowest part of the brain stem. The spinal cord extends within the vertebral column from the medulla oblongata to the lumbar region. Therefore, the brain and spinal cord are connected with the help of the medulla oblongata. So, this summarizes the difference between medulla oblongata and spinal cord.

Reference:

1. “Medulla Oblongata: What It Is, Function & Anatomy.” Cleveland Clinic.
2. G, Harrow-Mortelliti M; Reddy V; Jimsheleishvili. “Physiology, Spinal Cord.” National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Pyramid (medulla oblongata) -anterior view” By BodyParts3D is generated by DBCLS – Polygon data is from BodyParts3D by DBCLS (CC BY-SA 2.1 jp) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Spinal Cord Segments and body representation” By David Nascari and Alan Sved – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia