description of life cycle of Plasmodium parasite which is responsible for causing malaria infection in humans.

1. Life cycle of Malarial parasite
Plasmodium

2. MALARIA
• caused by unicellular parasites belonging to genus Plasmodium
• Global healthcare problem.
219 million malaria cases worldwide in 2017
435,000 malaria deaths worldwide in 2017
• Endemic in tropical and subtropical regions – Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia
and Latin America.
• Plasmodium infects the liver cells and Red blood cells in humans

3. • 5 species cause malaria in humans
P. falciparum
P. vivax
P. malariae
P. ovale
P. knowlesi

4. LIFE CYCLE
2 stages
1) Sexual phase in the Anopheles
mosquito
2) Asexual phase in humans
a) Exo-erythrocytic schizogony
b) Erythrocytic schizogony
• Schizogony-asexual reproduction by
multiple fission
• The infectious stage of malaria in
humans - Sporozoite (found in the salivary
glands of female mosquitoes).

5. EXO-ERYTHROCYTIC
STAGE
• Parasites inside hepatocyte
• → Schizont (containing thousands of
merozoites)
• → infected hepatocytes release
Merozoites
• → infect red cells.

6. EXO-ERYTHROCYTIC
STAGE
• P. vivax and P. ovale form
dormant Hypnozoites in
hepatocytes, which cause
relapses of malaria
long after initial infection.

7. ERYTHROCYTIC STAGE
• Within the red cells the
parasites grow in a membrane-
bound digestive vacuole,
hydrolyzing haemoglobin
through secreted enzymes.
A) Continuation of asexual
reproduction
B) Production of gametocytes -
Some parasites develop into
sexual forms called Gametocytes
→ infect the mosquito.

8. HOW to PREVENT malaria?
• Avoid breeding of vector
mosquito by preventing water
logging especially during rainy
season
• Use mosquito repellents , nets
and wear full sleeved clothes
to avoid mosquito bite
• Screening blood transfusions

9. Watch video lecture on youtube. Link given
below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q83ilEYGmiw