SKIN AND SKIN DISEASES

 

Skin (to be) ______ the largest organ of the integumentary ([in,tegju’menteri] – покровный) system. It (to make up) ______________of multiple layers of epithelial tissues. They (to guard) __________ underlying muscles and organs. Skin pigmentation (to vary) ___________ among populations, and skin type can (to range) _________ from dry skin to oily skin.

The adjective cutaneous literally (to mean) ________ "of the skin" (from Latin cutis, skin).

Skin (to play) ____________ the most important role in protecting (the body) against pathogens. Its other main functions (to be) _______ temperature regulation, sensation, and synthesis of vitamin D and the protection of vitamin B folates.

Severely damaged skin (to try) ____________ to heal by forming scar tissue, often giving rise to discoloration and depigmentation of the skin.

Skin (to have) _______ pigmentation, or melanin, provided by melanocytes, which absorb some of the potentially dangerous ultraviolet radiation (UV) in sunlight.

The skin (to know) _____often __________ as the largest organ of the human body. It (to have) _________ the largest surface area of all the organs. Moreover, it (to weigh) _________ more than any single internal organ, accounting for about 15 percent of body weight. For the average adult human, the skin (to have) _________ a surface area of between 1.5-2.0 square meters (16.1-21.5 sq.ft.), most of it (to be) ___ between 2-3 mm (0.10 inch) thick. The average square inch (6.5 cm²) of skin (to hold) _____ 650 sweat glands, 20 blood vessels, 60,000 melanocytes, and more than a thousand nerve endings.

Skin (to perform) __________________ the following functions:

1. Protection: The skin (to be) ____an anatomical barrier between the internal and external environment in bodily defense; Langerhans cells in the skin (to be) _____ part of the adaptive immune system

2. Sensation: The skin (to contain) ________ a variety of nerve endings that (to react) ________ to heat and cold, touch, pressure, vibration, and tissue injury.

3. Heat regulation: the skin (to contain) _______ a blood supply far greater than its requirements which (to allow) __________ control of energy loss by radiation, convection and conduction. Dilated blood vessels (to increase) _____________ perfusion and heat loss while constricted vessels greatly (to reduce) _________ cutaneous blood flow and (to conserve) __________ heat.

4. Control of evaporation: the skin (to provide) ____________ a relatively dry barrier to fluid loss. Loss of this function (to contribute) ___________ to the massive fluid loss in burns.

5. Aesthetics and communication: others (to see) _________ our skin and can (to assess) _________ our mood, physical state and attractiveness.

6. Storage and synthesis: The skin (to act) _______ as a storage center for lipids and water, as well as a means of synthesis of vitamin D.

7. Excretion: sweat (to contain) ___________ urea.

8. Absorption: Oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide can (to diffuse) __________ into the epidermis in small amounts. In addition, medicine can (to administer) ______________through the skin, by ointments or by means of adhesive patch, such as the nicotine patch.

Psoriasis [so’raiesis] (to be) _____ a disease which (to affect) _______________ the skin and joints. It commonly (to cause) ___________ red scaly patches to appear on the skin. The scaly patches (to call) ___________ psoriatic plaques. They (to be) _____ areas of inflammation and excessive skin production. Skin rapidly (to accumulate) ______________ at these sites. It (to take) ___________ a silvery-white appearance. Plaques frequently (to occur) _________ on the skin of the elbows and knees, but can (to affect) _________ any area including the scalp and genitals. Psoriasis (to hypothesize) _______________ to be immune-mediated.It (not to be) _______ and is not contagious.

The disorder (to be) _____ a chronic recurring condition. It (to vary) ________ in severity from minor localised patches to complete body coverage. Fingernails and toenails (to affect) ______frequently ___________ (psoriatic nail dystrophy). Psoriasis can also (to cause) _____________ inflammation of the joints. It (to know) __________ as psoriatic arthritis. Ten to fifteen percent of people with psoriasis have psoriatic arthritis.

The cause of psoriasis (not to know) ___________, but it (to believe) _________________ to have a genetic component. Several factors (to aggravate [‘aegreveit]) ________ psoriasis. These factors (to include) _____________ stress, excessive alcohol consumption, and smoking. Individuals with psoriasis may (to suffer) __________ from depression and loss of self-esteem (чувство собственного достоинства). As such, quality of life (to be) _______ an important factor in evaluating the severity of the disease. There (to be) _____ many treatments available but because of its chronic recurrent nature psoriasis (to be) _____ a challenge to treat.

A diagnosis of psoriasis (to base) ____ usually ________ on the appearance of the skin. There are no special blood tests or diagnostic procedures for psoriasis. Sometimes a skin biopsy, may (to need) ____________ to rule out other disorders and to confirm the diagnosis. Skin from a biopsy will show clubbed Rete pegs if positive for psoriasis.

Psoriasis (to affect) ___________ both sexes equally and can occur at any age, although it most commonly (to appear) ____________ for the first time between the ages of 15 and 25 years.

The prevalence of psoriasis in Western populations (to estimate) __________ to be around 2-3%.

Around one-third of people with psoriasis (to report) __________ a family history of the disease