Posted by I am covering the objective “Describe tissues in the integumentary” for my STEAM project with the connection to psoriasis. For my project I crocheted 10 layers shaped like squares that form a block, and this is to give you a view of a piece of what the integumentary layers look like on a larger scale. Not only does it have many layers but you can also use these for coasters, so my project is multipurpose, and pupils may have it if wanted after the presentation. The top layer that I made is white with that scaly texture you would see for psoriasis victims. Then I made 7 layers that are meant to be known as the dermis because it is known to be the “core” of your skin, and these layers are colored like fresh flesh, yes you read that right. The last 2 layers I made were for the adipocytes which are the fat tissues in the hypodermis which is the bottom part of the skin layer. The additional touches for this project I added are some hair follicles, lymphatic vessels, and collagen fibers. Now that you know about my art project work, we will now dive into the spectacular background of the disease psoriasis.
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that remains active for a period or for life.
This disease can be seen on the epidermis layer which is the top layer of your skin, and this disease is believed to be an autoimmune disease that is a rapid production of immature skin cells with significant impact on health and the skin. Not only does this have a great impact on your health, but it also causes itchiness, discomfort, and thick scaly areas of skin.
The causes of psoriasis can be seen when your immune system is overactive. In your body, it is constantly replacing old skin cells for new skin cells to grow for about a month, and with psoriasis the overactive immune system causes the timeline of the new skin cell development to change its course to three to four days. The speed of the replacement creates scales and frequent shedding causing build up leading to thick dry patches or plaques.
This process starts in the stratum basale layer which is the deepest layer of the epidermis where also keratinocytes are made. These cells are constantly going through mitosis to produce new cells. As new cells are formed, the existing cells are pushed away from the stratum basale in the epidermis layer of skin. The keratinocytes go from the bottom to the top layer which is the stratum corneum and shed, and this process takes 30 days. The dermis that contains blood, nerves, and lymphatic vessels becomes red and swollen. Not only is the irregularity of the production speed for these cells causing this disease, but also psoriasis can also make your immune system mistaken healthy cells for invaders, and you may notice swelling. As this disease continues overtime, it forms larger areas that can cover wide areas.
References
Gentiloni, M. (2022, June). Epidemiology of Psoriasis and Comorbid Diseases. Epidemiology of Psoriasis and Comorbid Diseases: A Narrative Review. https://resolver.ebscohost.com/openurl?sid=EBSCO%3acmedm&genre=article&issn=16643224&ISBN=&volume=13&issue=&date=20220610&spage=880201&pages=880201&title=Frontiers+in+immunology&atitle=Epidemiology+of+Psoriasis+and+Comorbid+Diseases%3a+A+Narrative+Review.&aulast=Bu+J&id=DOI%3a10.3389%2ffimmu.2022.880201&site=ftf-live
Psoriasis. Mount Sinai Health System. (n.d.). https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/report/psoriasis#:~:text=The%20main%20disease%20activity%20leading,hair%2C%20nails%2C%20and%20skin
Psoriasis: What it is, symptoms, causes, types & treatment. Cleveland Clinic. (2024, September 9). https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/6866-psoriasis
UpToDate. (n.d.-a). https://www.uptodate.com/contents/psoriasis-beyond-the-basics/print#:~:text=In%20skin%20affected%20by%20psoriasis,on%20areas%20affected%20by%20psoriasis
UpToDate. (n.d.-b). https://www.uptodate.com/contents/psoriasis-beyond-the-basics/print#:~:text=In%20skin%20affected%20by%20psoriasis,on%20areas%20affected%20by%20psoriasis