What the medulla oblongata actually does on the MCAT (besides sounding fancy)? In this Jack Westin MCAT Podcast episode, Mike and Molly kick off a new MCAT brain anatomy series by starting with the structures that literally keep you alive: the brainstem and vital functions.
Instead of drowning you in neuroanatomy, they connect what you see in MCAT passages to how the brain actually works in real life.
You’ll learn:
🧬 How the neural tube develops into forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain (and which parts matter most for the MCAT)
🫁 Why the medulla oblongata is the “vital functions HQ” for breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure
😴 How the pons and RAS (reticular activating system) control arousal, sleep–wake cycles, and what happens in coma or under anesthesia
☕ How caffeine hacks adenosine receptors to keep you “awake” while parts of your brain are still tired
⚡ How the autonomic nervous system (sympathetic vs parasympathetic) actually uses these brainstem regions to run fight-or-flight and rest-and-digest
This episode is perfect if you:
🤯 Keep mixing up medulla, pons, and midbrain on MCAT questions
📚 Want a story-based way to remember brainstem functions instead of brute-force memorization
🧪 Like seeing how MCAT psych/soc and bio/biochem overlap in real physiology
Want to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at podcast@jackwestin.com! 📱
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