Final answer:
Psoriasis is an autoimmune skin condition where rapid cell turnover leads to inflamed and scaly patches on the skin. It's caused by a mix of genetic and environmental factors, along with a dysfunctional immune response.
Step-by-step explanation:
Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune skin disorder characterized by rapid skin cell turnover due to cytokine activation, leading to thick, red, and scaly skin patches. Genetic factors and environmental triggers contribute to the condition.
Psoriasis is a complex autoimmune disease that affects the skin, resulting in the formation of itchy or sore patches of thick, red skin with silvery scales. The disease occurs due to abnormal cell turnover in the skin. Normally, this process allows for skin cells to mature and shed in about a month. In psoriasis, triggered by various cytokines, this turnover happens within a few days. This rapid turnover doesn't allow the skin cells to mature properly, causing an accumulation on the surface, forming the characteristic inflamed patches.
The exact cause of psoriasis involves a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors, such as infection, stress, medications, and trauma to the skin. Psoriasis is also associated with other conditions, like psoriatic arthritis, which can cause joint inflammation. Although the detailed mechanisms of the disease are not completely understood, it is recognized as an autoimmune condition, where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy skin cells. This dysfunctional immune response is critical to the development and exacerbation of psoriasis symptoms.