Feet come first when it comes to body parts with most fungi.
Fungal infections, or mycosis, are diseases caused by a fungus (yeast or mold). Fungal infections are most common on your skin or nails, but fungi (plural of fungus) can also cause infections in your mouth, throat, lungs, urinary tract and many other parts of your body.
Thus, the target site for the fungal disease is the skin.
Most common fungal diseases
Common infections of the fingernails or toenails. Caused by the yeast Candida, also called a “vaginal yeast infection.” A common fungal skin infection that often looks like a circular rash. Caused by the yeast Candida, also called “thrush.
Anyone with a weakened immune system may be more likely to contract a fungal infection, as well as anyone who is taking antibiotics. Cancer treatment and diabetes may also make a person more prone to fungal infections.
Antifungal medications work to treat fungal infections. They can either kill fungi directly or prevent them from growing and thriving. Antifungal drugs are available as OTC treatments or prescription medications, and come in a variety of forms, including: creams or ointments.
These spores are often present in the air and soil, where they can be inhaled or come into contact with the surfaces of the body, primarily the skin. Consequently, fungal infections usually begin in the lungs or on the skin.
Innate Immune Cells
Alveolar macrophages are the first line of fungal defense; they recognize, phagocytize, and destroy fungal spores (46). Neutrophils also play a key role in killing fungal hyphae. They eliminate fungal hyphae by inducing an oxidative burst and by forming neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) (47).
A typical fungus consists of a mass of branched, tubular filaments enclosed by a rigid cell wall. The filaments, called hyphae (singular hypha), branch repeatedly into a complicated, radially expanding network called the mycelium, which makes up the thallus, or undifferentiated body, of the typical fungus.
In comparison, hands, which are beacons for bacteria, barely had any fungi. The inside of the bend of the arm, inside of the forearm and inside of the palm only had 18 to 32 different genera of fungi.
Your gut is home to most of the microbes in your body, but your skin, mouth, lungs, and genitalia also harbour diverse populations. And as research continues into body biomes, it should reveal answers about how these microorganisms are promoting health or even disease.
Fungi can be divided into two basic morphological forms, yeasts and hyphae.
Most fungi are saprophytes, feeding on dead or decaying material. This helps to remove leaf litter and other debris that would otherwise accumulate on the ground. Nutrients absorbed by the fungus then become available for other organisms which may eat fungi.
To help the immune system fight off infection, it is important to not smoke, exercise with regularity, drink in moderation, eat a balanced diet and get plenty of rest.
The innate immune system is well equipped to recognize and destroy pathogenic fungi through specialized cells expressing a broad range of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs).
Light. Light has an important influence on fungal growth in specific cases. The effect of UV (ultraviolet) radiation on spore and fruiting body formation and phototropic release is a clear example of the importance of light.
Fungi eat decaying organic matter. Fungi eat dead and living trees, leaves, plants, fruits, vegetables, and animals. Fungi are omnivores, though some species eat only plants or animals. All fungi are heterotrophic organisms, which means they rely on getting their nutrients from other organisms and organic matter.
Like us, fungi can only live and grow if they have food, water and oxygen (O2) from the air – but fungi don't chew food, drink water or breathe air. Instead, fungi grow as masses of narrow branched threads called hyphae.
A long filament is called hyphae and the structure that forms the network of filaments is called mycelium. Mycelium forms the body of the fungus.
Fungi are usually classified in four divisions: the Chytridiomycota (chytrids), Zygomycota (bread molds), Ascomycota (yeasts and sac fungi), and the Basidiomycota (club fungi). Placement into a division is based on the way in which the fungus reproduces sexually.