Controls breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure.

• A. Pons
• B. Medulla oblongata
• C. Cerebrum
• D. Cerebellum

Answer: (B)

The medulla oblongata houses the body's main autonomic control centers for life-sustaining functions. It contains the respiratory centers that generate and regulate breathing rhythm and depth, the cardiac centers that pace the heart, and a vasomotor center that adjusts the diameter of blood vessels to help maintain blood pressure. It also receives input from sensors like baroreceptors and chemoreceptors and uses that information to fine-tune breathing, heart rate, and vascular tone via autonomic pathways such as the vagus nerve and sympathetic nerves. While the pons can modulate breathing, the medulla is the key player for controlling heart rate and blood pressure as well. The cerebrum and cerebellum aren’t responsible for these automatic vital functions.