Final answer:
Tinea pedis is another name for athlete's foot, a dermatophytic skin infection that affects the feet and is characterized by symptoms such as itching and cracking of the skin.
Step-by-step explanation:
Tinea pedis is another name for athlete's foot. It is a type of dermatophytic skin infection caused by fungi that thrive on keratin, a protein found in skin. The fungi responsible for tinea infections belong to three genera: Trichophyton, Epidermophyton, and Microsporum. While 'tinea' refers to fungal skin infections in general, specific names like 'tinea pedis' indicate the part of the body affected. Athlete's foot is characterized by itching, burning, and cracked skin, most commonly between the toes.
In contrast, other tinea infections include tinea corporis (ringworm), which produces a ring-shaped rash, tinea cruris (jock itch), and tinea unguium (onychomycosis), which affects the nails. Ringworm is not caused by a worm but by the same group of fungi. Similarly, 'jock itch' is a term for fungal infection in the groin area, and 'scabies' is a completely different condition caused by mites, not fungi.