Which structure is described as the anterior extension of the medulla?

Which structure is described as the anterior extension of the medulla?

• A. Pons
• B. Midbrain
• C. Cerebellum
• D. Spinal cord

Answer: (A)

The anterior extension of the medulla is the pons. As you move rostrally from the medulla along the ventral surface of the brainstem, the next bulge you encounter is the pons, which forms the forward-facing block that continues the hindbrain. The spinal cord is the caudal continuation of the medulla below the foramen magnum, not its anterior extension. The midbrain sits above the pons, and the cerebellum lies dorsal to the brainstem, not as a forward continuation.

The anterior extension of the medulla is the pons. As you move rostrally from the medulla along the ventral surface of the brainstem, the next bulge you encounter is the pons, which forms the forward-facing block that continues the hindbrain. The spinal cord is the caudal continuation of the medulla below the foramen magnum, not its anterior extension. The midbrain sits above the pons, and the cerebellum lies dorsal to the brainstem, not as a forward continuation.