Task: Question Answering
Input (English): Context: Macroparasites are parasites that are large enough to be seen with the naked eye, in contrast to microparasites. They grow in one host but reproduce by infective stages outside this host. These generally include ticks, mites, helminths (nematodes, flatworms, etc.), and can be either external parasites (ectoparasitic) or internal parasites (endoparasitic). The most abundant macroparasite in humans is the nematode "Ascaris lumbricoides "which causes an infection called ascariasis. Macroparasites are also parasitic of many plant species and can be a significant agricultural pest., The hypothalamus (from Greek , "under" and , thalamus) is a portion of the brain that contains a number of small nuclei with a variety of functions. One of the most important functions of the hypothalamus is to link the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland (hypophysis)., The endocrine system is the collection of glands of an organism that secrete hormones directly into the circulatory system to be carried towards distant target organs. The phenomenon of biochemical processes' serving to regulate distant tissues by means of secretions directly into the circulatory system is called endocrine signaling. The major endocrine glands include the pineal gland, pituitary gland, pancreas, ovaries, testes, thyroid gland, parathyroid gland, and adrenal glands. The endocrine system is in contrast to the exocrine system, which secretes its hormones to the outside of the body using ducts. The endocrine system is an information signal system like the nervous system, yet its effects and mechanism are classifiably different. The endocrine system's effects are slow to initiate, and prolonged in their response, lasting from a few hours up to weeks. The nervous system sends information very quickly, and responses are generally short lived. In vertebrates, the hypothalamus is the neural control center for all endocrine systems. The field of study dealing with the endocrine system and its disorders is endocrinology, a branch of internal medicine.
Special features of endocrine glands are, in general, their ductless nature, their vascularity, and commonly the presence of intracellular vacuoles or granules that store their hormones. In contrast, exocrine glands, such as salivary glands, sweat glands, and glands within the gastrointestinal tract, tend to be much less vascular and have ducts or a hollow lumen., A prion is an infectious agent composed entirely of protein material, called PrP (short for prion protein), that can fold in multiple, structurally distinct ways, at least one of which is transmissible to other prion proteins, leading to disease that is similar to viral infection. They are suspected to be the cause of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) among other diseases., Infection is the invasion of an organism's body tissues by disease-causing agents, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to these organisms and the toxins they produce. Infectious disease, also known as transmissible disease or communicable disease, is illness resulting from an infection.
Infections are caused by infectious agents including viruses, viroids, prions, bacteria, nematodes such as parasitic roundworms and pinworms, arthropods such as ticks, mites, fleas, and lice, fungi such as ringworm, and other macroparasites such as tapeworms and other helminths., The University of Edinburgh Medical School (also known as Edinburgh Medical School) is the medical school of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and part of the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine the head of which is Sir John Savill. Moira Whyte has been head of the school since 2016. It was established in 1726, during the Scottish Enlightenment, and is one of the oldest medical schools in the English-speaking world., A medical school is a tertiary educational institutionor part of such an institutionthat teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians and surgeons. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, MBChB, BMBS), Doctor of Medicine (MD), or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO). Many medical schools offer additional degrees, such as a Doctor of Philosophy, Master's degree, a physician assistant program, or other post-secondary education., Adrenal crisis (also known as Addisonian crisis and acute adrenal insufficiency) is a medical emergency and potentially life-threatening situation requiring immediate emergency treatment. It is a constellation of symptoms that indicate severe adrenal insufficiency caused by insufficient levels of the hormone cortisol. This may be the result of either previously undiagnosed or untreated Addison's disease, a disease process suddenly affecting adrenal function (such as bleeding from the adrenal glands in Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome), suddenly stopping intake of glucocorticoids, or an intercurrent problem (e.g. infection, trauma, in fact any form of physical or mental stress) in someone known to have Addison's disease or congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH)., Medical imaging is the technique and process of creating visual representations of the interior of a body for clinical analysis and medical intervention, as well as visual representation of the function of some organs or tissues (physiology). Medical imaging seeks to reveal internal structures hidden by the skin and bones, as well as to diagnose and treat disease. Medical imaging also establishes a database of normal anatomy and physiology to make it possible to identify abnormalities. Although imaging of removed organs and tissues can be performed for medical reasons, such procedures are usually considered part of pathology instead of medical imaging., Addison 's disease ( also Addison disease , chronic adrenal insufficiency , hypocortisolism , and hypoadrenalism ) is a rare , chronic endocrine system disorder in which the adrenal glands do not produce sufficient steroid hormones ( glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids ) . It is characterised by a number of relatively nonspecific symptoms , such as abdominal pain and weakness , but under certain circumstances , these may progress to Addisonian crisis , a severe illness which may include very low blood pressure and coma . An adrenal crisis often occurs if the body is subjected to stress , such as an accident , injury , surgery , severe infection or illness ; death may quickly follow . The condition arises from problems with the adrenal gland , primary adrenal insufficiency , and can be caused by damage by the body 's own immune system , certain infections , or various rarer causes . Addison 's disease is also known as chronic primary adrenocortical insufficiency , to distinguish it from acute primary adrenocortical insufficiency , most often caused by Waterhouse -- Friderichsen syndrome . Addison 's disease should also be distinguished from secondary and tertiary adrenal insufficiency , which are caused by deficiency of ACTH ( produced by the pituitary gland ) and CRH ( produced by the hypothalamus ) , respectively . Despite this distinction , Addisonian crises can happen in all forms of adrenal insufficiency . Addison 's disease and other forms of hypoadrenalism are generally diagnosed via blood tests and medical imaging . Treatment involves replacing the absent hormones ( oral hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone ) . Lifelong , continuous steroid replacement therapy is required , with regular follow - up treatment and monitoring for other health problems . Addison 's disease is named after Thomas Addison , a graduate of the University of Edinburgh Medical School who first described the condition in 1849 . The adjective `` Addisonian '' is used to describe features of the condition , as well as people with Addison 's disease ., Pathology (from the Greek roots of "pathos", meaning "experience" or "suffering", and "-logia", "study of") is a significant component of the causal study of disease and a major field in modern medicine and diagnosis., A disease is a particular abnormal condition, a disorder of a structure or function, that affects part or all of an organism. The study of disease is called pathology which includes the causal study of etiology. Disease is often construed as a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors such as pathogens, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions particularly of the immune system such as an immunodeficiency, or a hypersensitivity including allergies and autoimmunity., Subject: addison's disease, Relation: medical_specialty, Options: (A) endocrinology (B) infection (C) internal medicine (D) pathology (E) surgery
Output (English): endocrinology