Final answer:
Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness characterized by difficulty differentiating between reality and imagination, inappropriate emotional responses, and problems with social situations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness characterized by symptoms such as the inability to differentiate between reality and imagination, inappropriate emotional responses, difficulty thinking, and problems with social situations. People with schizophrenia may experience hallucinations, delusions, and negative symptoms like a flattened emotional state.
The development of schizophrenia is believed to involve malfunctioning dopaminergic neurons and problems with glutamate signaling. Treatment usually involves antipsychotic medications that block dopamine receptors, although they are not a cure and most patients require lifelong medication.