Biology · Ch 10 — Human Health and Diseases
Ring Worm (Dermatophytosis)
Ring Worm (Dermatophytosis)
H. Ring Worm (Dermatophytosis) : Ringworm, medically called dermatophytosis, is a fungal infection of the skin caused by several species of fungi belonging to the genera Trichophyton and Microsporum, which feed on the keratin present in skin, hair and nails.
Signs and symptoms: Infected skin develops an enlarged, red ring; dry, scaly lesions appear on various parts of the body and cause intense itching. Infection of the nails is called onychomycosis, making nails thick, discoloured and disfigured; infection that begins between the toes is called athlete's foot.
Drawn by us to help you understand the concept clearly, and verified to make sure it's accurate. For exams, practice from your textbook's own diagram.
What this figure shows. A three-part illustration linking the disease to its cause: a close-up of an infected patch of skin showing the characteristic enlarged, red, ring-shaped ringworm lesion with a clearer centre and an active, itchy, scaly margin; a microscopic inset showing branching fungal hyphae as they appear under magnification; and a caption note that this fungus lives on and feeds off dead tissue of the outer skin layer, linking the visible lesion to the underlying fungal growth shown microscopically.
10.11: Ring Worm. …
Mode of transmission: By sharing clothes or a comb with an infected person, or through close contact with them.
Diagnosis and treatment: Diagnosed by physical examination; treated with antifungal drugs such as nystatin, fluconazole and itraconazole. …