plasmodium

Examples of plasmodium in the following topics:

• Malaria

  • Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals caused by various species of the protist Plasmodium.
  • The five types of malaria parasites include species of Plasmodium.
  • The fives species include: Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium malariae, and Plasmodium knowlesi.
  • Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for the majority of deaths caused by infection and Plasmodium vivax, ovale and malariae cause a milder form of malaria.
  • The species, Plasmodium knowlesi, commonly causes malaria in macaques but can also cause severe infections in humans

• Protists as Human Pathogens

  • Members of the genus Plasmodium must colonize both a mosquito and a vertebrate to complete their life cycle.
  • Of the four Plasmodium species known to infect humans, P. falciparum accounts for 50 percent of all malaria cases and is the primary cause of disease-related fatalities in tropical regions of the world.

• Protist Life Cycles and Habitats

  • Upon maturation, the plasmodium takes on a net-like appearance with the ability to form fruiting bodies, or sporangia, during times of stress.
  • Haploid spores develop into amoeboid or flagellated forms, which are then fertilized to form a diploid, multinucleate mass called a plasmodium.
  • This plasmodium is net-like and, upon maturation, forms a sporangium on top of a stalk.
  • The brightly-colored plasmodium in the inset photo is a single-celled, multinucleate mass.

• Infectious Diseases Today and in the Developing World

  • Said to be one of the world's oldest diseases, malaria is caused by one of four protozoans within the genus Plasmodium.
  • Said to be one of the world's oldest diseases, malaria is caused by one of four protozoans within the genus Plasmodium.

• Babesiosis

  • Other hemoprotozoan parasites such as these Babesia sp. resemble Plasmodium falciparum organisms.
  • Though developmentally the Babesia spp. organisms resemble Plasmodium falciparum, these parasites present several distinguishing features: they vary more in shape and in size; and they do not produce pigment.

• Antiprotozoan and Antihelminthic Drugs

• Protozoa

  • Protozoa such as the malaria parasites (Plasmodium spp. ), trypanosomes, and leishmania are also important as parasites and symbionts of multicellular animals.

• Chromalveolata: Alveolates

  • This group includes the genus Plasmodium, which causes malaria in humans.
  • (b) Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria, has a complex life cycle typical of apicomplexans.

• Overview of Human-Microbial Reactions

• Amoebozoa and Opisthokonta

  • Upon maturation, the plasmodium takes on a net-like appearance with the ability to form fruiting bodies, or sporangia, during times of stress .