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].
The human brain is a complex organ controlling every voluntary and involuntary action we make. The brain controls basic motor skills, heart and breathing rates, emotions, behavior and decision-making. There is a part of the brain responsible for addiction. The name for this part of the brain is the limbic system. This system, also known as the âbrain reward system,â is responsible for producing feelings of pleasure.