Life Span and A&P Practice Test

Autonomic control of breathing and heart rate is governed by the brainstem, and the medulla oblongata houses the primary centers for these vital functions. The medulla contains the respiratory rhythmicity center that sets the basic breathing pattern and the cardiac and vasomotor centers that regulate heart rate and blood vessel tone in response to body needs. The pons can modulate breathing to adjust rate and depth, but it doesn’t control these functions on its own. The cerebellum is involved in coordinating movement, and the cerebral cortex governs voluntary actions rather than automatic autonomic processes. So the medulla oblongata is the best answer.