The pons is __________. the region responsible for regulating hiccupping, swallowing, and coughing the main visceral control center of the body, which regulates many activities of visceral organs a "bridge" between the medulla oblongata and the cerebellum, contains some reticular formation nuclei, and the middle cerebellar peduncles attach to it the "gateway" to the cerebral cortex responsible for initiating visual reflexes and flexion movements of the trunk