This is the part of the brain that no one wants to get hurt or damaged because its functions are vital to our ability to live. The medulla is responsible for autonomic (involuntary) functions such as digestion, vomiting, sneezing, coughing, and regulating heart rate and blood pressure. It also helps transfer neural messages from the brain to the spinal cord. Consequently, if the damage is on the right side of the cord, the symptoms will appear on the left side of the body. This is because it is the site of crossing of nerves to opposite hemispheres of the brain. Paralysis, loss of muscle coordination, dizziness and even instant death are some of the consequences of cord damage. For this reason, some snipers are trained to aim for the medulla oblongata when it comes to a life-or-death situation, as an injury to the medulla oblongata can instantly take down an attacker. The pons is a structure at the top of the brainstem that is about an inch long. The bridge helps control movement, regulates the sleep cycle, controls breathing, hearing, taste and balance. Additionally, the pons helps transmit neural messages from parts of the nervous system, the cerebral cortex and the cerebellum. With this in mind, Locked-in syndrome occurs when a person is alive and conscious but all the voluntary muscles in the body are paralyzed, this is due to damage to the pons. Although it was not fatal, I could not imagine if anyone I knew or even myself were to find themselves in such a situation