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].
HINDBRAIN. 1  MEDULLA lowest part of the brain, the brain stem; regulates heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, rate of digestion, motion sickness, balance(nausea center).Transmits messages between the spinal cord and the upper part of the brain.