Dermatophyte

Dermatophytes (derived from Greek "δέρματος" (dermatos), from "δέρμα", which means "skin" and -"phyte", from "phutón", meaning "plant" ) are a common label for a group of three types of fungus that commonly causes skin disease in animals and humans. These anamorphic (asexual or imperfect fungi) genera are: Microsporum, Epidermophyton and Trichophyton. There are about 40 species in these three genera. Species capable of reproducing sexually belong in the teleomorphic genus Arthroderma, of the Ascomycota (see Teleomorph, anamorph and holomorph for more information on this type of fungal life cycle).