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Jan 28
The life cycle of Plasmodium, the parasite responsible for causing malaria, involves two hosts: humans and female Anopheles mosquitoes. The life cycle can be divided into two phases: the human phase and the mosquito phase.
Human Phase:
1. Infection: The life cycle begins when an infected female Anopheles mosquito bites a human and injects sporozoites, the infective stage of Plasmodium, into the bloodstream.
2. Liver Stage: The sporozoites travel to the liver and invade hepatocytes, where they multiply asexually to form thousands of merozoites.
3. Blood Stage: The merozoites are released into the bloodstream, where they invade red blood cells (RBCs). Inside the RBCs, they undergo further multiplication and develop into different stages: ring stage, trophozoite stage, and schizont stage.
4. Symptoms: As the infected RBCs rupture, releasing merozoites, the individual experiences symptoms such as fever, chills, fatigue, and anemia.
5. Gametocytes: Some merozoites differentiate into sexual forms called male and female gametocytes, which can be taken up by mosquitoes during a blood meal.
Mosquito Phase:
1. Ingestion: When a female Anopheles mosquito feeds on an infected human, it ingests the gametocytes along with the blood.
2. Fertilization: Inside the mosquito's midgut, the male and female gametocytes fuse to form a zygote, which develops into a motile form called an ookinete.
3. Oocyst Formation: The ookinete penetrates the midgut wall and develops into an oocyst, where it undergoes multiple divisions to produce thousands of sporozoites.
4. Sporozoite Release: The sporozoites are released from the oocyst and migrate to the mosquito's salivary glands.
5. Transmission: When the infected mosquito bites another human, it injects the sporozoites into the bloodstream, starting the cycle again.
This complex life cycle ensures the transmission and survival of Plasmodium between humans and mosquitoes, perpetuating the spread of malaria.
Human Phase:
1. Infection: The life cycle begins when an infected female Anopheles mosquito bites a human and injects sporozoites, the infective stage of Plasmodium, into the bloodstream.
2. Liver Stage: The sporozoites travel to the liver and invade hepatocytes, where they multiply asexually to form thousands of merozoites.
3. Blood Stage: The merozoites are released into the bloodstream, where they invade red blood cells (RBCs). Inside the RBCs, they undergo further multiplication and develop into different stages: ring stage, trophozoite stage, and schizont stage.
4. Symptoms: As the infected RBCs rupture, releasing merozoites, the individual experiences symptoms such as fever, chills, fatigue, and anemia.
5. Gametocytes: Some merozoites differentiate into sexual forms called male and female gametocytes, which can be taken up by mosquitoes during a blood meal.
Mosquito Phase:
1. Ingestion: When a female Anopheles mosquito feeds on an infected human, it ingests the gametocytes along with the blood.
2. Fertilization: Inside the mosquito's midgut, the male and female gametocytes fuse to form a zygote, which develops into a motile form called an ookinete.
3. Oocyst Formation: The ookinete penetrates the midgut wall and develops into an oocyst, where it undergoes multiple divisions to produce thousands of sporozoites.
4. Sporozoite Release: The sporozoites are released from the oocyst and migrate to the mosquito's salivary glands.
5. Transmission: When the infected mosquito bites another human, it injects the sporozoites into the bloodstream, starting the cycle again.
This complex life cycle ensures the transmission and survival of Plasmodium between humans and mosquitoes, perpetuating the spread of malaria.
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