medulla has 4 distinct synonyms spread across 2 of its 3 senses. Each sense below keeps its own list, because a synonym belongs to a meaning and not to a word: swapping one sense's substitute into another sense's sentence is how a thesaurus makes writing worse. Its one recorded opposite is cortex.
Counts are distinct word forms across every sense. A synonym that appears under three senses is counted once here and shown three times below, under each sense it belongs to.
lower or hindmost part of the brain; continuous with spinal cord; (`bulb' is an old term for medulla oblongata)
“the medulla oblongata is the most vital part of the brain because it contains centers controlling breathing and heart functioning”
Synonyms, antonyms and the broader and narrower relations for medulla come from Princeton University’s WordNet. Full sources and licences.
the inner part of an organ or structure in plant or animal