Dermatophyte

A fungus that uses keratin in skin, hair, or nails as a nutrient source. Dermatophytes cause infections collectively known as dermatophytosis or ringworm.

Keratin: A family of tough structural proteins found in skin, hair, nails, and other tissues. Dermatophytes digest keratin to obtain nutrients from their characteristic tissues.
Tinea corporis: A dermatophyte infection of the body’s glabrous skin, often producing an enlarging scaly patch. It is a common skin presentation of dermatophyte infection.
Fungus: A eukaryotic organism that absorbs nutrients from its surroundings and has chitin in its cell wall. Dermatophytes are fungi with a specialized ability to use keratin.
Candida: A genus of yeasts that can cause infections of skin, mucous membranes, and other body sites. Candida can affect skin and nails but is not a dermatophyte and does not specialize in keratin.
Keratinase: An enzyme that breaks down keratin proteins. These enzymes help dermatophytes access nutrients in keratinized tissue.
Tinea capitis: A dermatophyte infection of the scalp and hair shafts, most common in children. It illustrates how dermatophytes infect hair as well as skin.
Hypha: A branching filament that forms the growing structure of many fungi. Dermatophytes grow through keratinized tissues as networks of hyphae.
Malassezia: A genus of lipid-dependent yeasts associated with normal skin and several skin disorders. Its skin infections arise from a different fungal group and nutritional ecology.
Dermatophytosis: A fungal infection of keratinized tissues caused by dermatophytes. It names the group of infections produced by these fungi.
Onychomycosis: A fungal infection of the nails that can cause thickening, discoloration, and brittleness. Dermatophytes are a major cause of fungal nail disease.

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