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: The brain stem connects the cerebral hemispheres with the spinal cord relaying signals in both directions. It is comprised of the medulla oblongata, the pons, and the midbrain. The Medulla is actually an enlarged portion of the upper spinal cord and forms the lowest portion of the brain stem.