plasmodium
NAME SAGHEER AHMAD
NAME MAAM ZUBIRA
Plasmodium is a genus of unicellular eukaryotes that are
obligate parasites of vertebrates and insects. The life cycles
of Plasmodium species involve development in a blood-feeding insect
host which then injects parasites into a vertebrate host during a blood
meal. Parasites grow within a vertebrate body tissue (often the liver)
before entering the bloodstream to infect red blood cells. The ensuing
destruction of host red blood cells can result in malaria. During this
infection, some parasites are picked up by a blood-feeding insect (
mosquitoes in majority cases), continuing the life cycle.[1]
• plasmodium is a member of the phylum Apicomplexa, a large group of
parasitic eukaryotes. Within Apicomplexa, Plasmodium is in the order
Haemosporida and family Plasmodiidae. Over 200 species
of Plasmodium have been described, many of which have been
subdivided into 14 subgenera based on parasite morphology and host
range. Evolutionary relationships among different Plasmodium species
do not always follow taxonomic boundaries; some species that are
morphologically similar or infect the same host turn out to be
distantly related.
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Clade: Diaphoretickes
Clade: SAR
Clade: Alveolata
Phylum: Apicomplexa
Class: Aconoidasida
Order: Haemospororida
Family: Plasmodiidae
Genus: Plasmodium
Marchiafava & Celli, 1885
• Cycle of infection
• While the malarial infection process varies between species of Plasmodium (as well
as Haemoproteus), it generally begins with immature parasites known as sporozoites, which
are carried in the saliva of infected female mosquitoes. Following a bite from one of these
mosquitoes, the sporozoites either enter the bloodstream directly or penetrate deep into
the bird’s skin, invading fibroblasts (a type of connective tissue cell) and macrophages (a
type of white blood cell) and maturing into forms known as merozoites. Within 36 to 48
hours, the merozoites are released into the bloodstream and transported to macrophages in
the brain, the liver, the spleen, the kidney, and the lung. The parasites then begin to
reproduce asexually, producing copies of themselves. The new generations of merozoites
infect red blood cells, where they grow and reproduce and eventually cause the cells to
burst open. This sudden release of parasites and the loss of red cells trigger the acute phase
of infection, which in susceptible birds is characterized primarily by anemia, with symptoms
of weakness, depression, and loss of appetite; some birds become comatose and die.
• Malaria
• In humans, five species of plasmodium are known to cause malaria. They
are as follows:
• Plasmodium vivax
• Plasmodium ovale
• Plasmodium falciparum
• Plasmodium malariae
• Plasmodium knowlesi
• The most common species to cause malaria is P. vivax. However, P.
falciparum is known to cause the most severe of symptoms.
• vPlasmodium Life Cycle
• Members of this genus exhibit three distinct stages in its lifecycle:
• Gametocytes
• Sporozoites
• Merozoites
• Further Reading: Plasmodium Life Cycle: Introduction, Life Cycle, FAQs
• How Plasmodium Affects the Body
• As stated previously, plasmodium needs a vector to infect its hosts (humans). The
Anopheles female mosquito is the vector, with the protozoan entering the host
through the proboscis of the mosquito. Once inside the host, the parasite seeks
out red blood cells to invade and multiply.
• Symptoms and Treatment
• You thank Dr. Owusu for her time and make your way to the treatment
center to interview those infected. You speak to Hassan, a patient being
treated in the center. Hassan explains that it can take from seven to ten
days before a person starts to have any symptoms. Once the symptoms
begin, they often include cycles of fever, nausea, chills and other flu-like
symptoms. Hassan tells you that some people can even die if they are
not treated quickly - it all depends on the strain of plasmodium they are
infected with.
• Plasmodium is a genus of parasitic micro-organisms known to cause malaria.
• Parasites, like plasmodium, are organisms that live in or on other organisms (the hosts), and harm
them.
• Plasmodium can infect many different types of animals, including reptiles, birds and mammals.
• Malaria is an illness in humans caused by plasmodium, characterized by cycles of fever, nausea,
chills and other flu-like symptoms.
• Prevention is the best treatment, but once infected, various oral and/or intravenous medications
can be used to treat patients.
• The plasmodium life cycle has three stages: gametocytes, sporozoites, and merozoites.
• The anopheles mosquito transmits plasmodium from one organism to the next.
• There are over 100 species of plasmodium found all over the world.
