She died of sepsis from a ruptured intestine. ( 1 CNN)Actress Patty Duke died Tuesday as a result of sepsis from a ruptured intestine, according to Mitchell K. Stubbs & Associates, the agency that represented her. She was 69.
How Your Brain Works. The basic lower brain consists of the spinal cord, brain stem and diencephalon (the cerebellum and cortex are also present, but will be discussed in later sections). In turn, the brain stem comprises the medulla, pons, midbrain, hypothalamus and thalamus [source: Health Pages].
Brain stem: Connection from the spinal cord to lower areas of the brain. Responsible for autonomic functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, and the like. Motor and sensory neurons pass through the brain stem. Brocaâs area: Located in the left frontal lobe. Involved in the production of fluent.