What are the general characteristics of Plasmodium?
What are the general characteristics of Plasmodium?
Plasmodium belongs to the phylum Apicomplexa, a taxonomic group of single-celled parasites with characteristic secretory organelles at one end of the cell. Within Apicomplexa, Plasmodium is within the order Haemosporida, a group that includes all apicomplexans that live within blood cells.
What are the distinguishing features of the malaria parasites?
Morphological Differences
| Key Morphological Differences Between Human Plasmodium Species in Blood Smears | ||
|---|---|---|
| falciparum | vivax | malariae |
| numerous rings smaller rings no trophozoites or schizonts cresent-shaped gametocytes | enlarged erythrocyte Schüffner’s dots ‘ameboid’ trophozoite | compact parasite merozoites in rosette |
How do you identify a Plasmodium species?
Malaria parasites were detected by Giemsa microscopy (GM) while a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to identify the Plasmodium species. Statistical analysis performed included the Pearson chi-square test, and statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
What type of organism is Plasmodium?
Plasmodium, a genus of parasitic protozoans of the sporozoan subclass Coccidia that are the causative organisms of malaria. Plasmodium, which infects red blood cells in mammals (including humans), birds, and reptiles, occurs worldwide, especially in tropical and temperate zones.
What are the 4 species of malaria?
Four species are considered true parasites of humans, as they utilize humans almost exclusively as a natural intermediate host: P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale and P.
What are the distinguishing features of the malaria parasites and the infected RBC in Plasmodium vivax infection?
malariae. The enlarged size of the in- fected rbcs helps distinguish the two species. P. vivax gametocytes are round to oval with scattered brown pigment and may almost fill the rbc.
What are the five common Plasmodium species?
Five species of Plasmodium (single-celled parasites) can infect humans and cause illness:
- Plasmodium falciparum (or P. falciparum)
- Plasmodium malariae (or P. malariae)
- Plasmodium vivax (or P. vivax)
- Plasmodium ovale (or P. ovale)
- Plasmodium knowlesi (or P. knowlesi)
Where do Haemosporidia live?
Haemosporidia spend some of their life cycle in the blood cells of vertebrates and include the malaria parasites of the family Plasmodiidae, numerous bird parasites of the family Haemoproteidae, and the piroplasms and related pathogens of cattle belonging to the family Babesiidae.
What does Haemosporida mean?
The Haemosporida (sometimes called Haemospororida) are an order of intraerythrocytic parasitic alveolates.
What is the difference between Haemosporidia and trophozoites?
Haemosporidia are intraerythrocytic parasites capable of causing serious diseases in animals and humans. They have complex life cycles that alternate between an arthropod host acting as a vector and a vertebrate host, the definitive host. Trophozoites parasitize red blood cells or other tissues of the vertebrate host.
Do Haemosporidia reproduce sexually or sexually?
In insects, which serve as vectors of Haemosporidia, they reproduce sexually. Several species of the genus Plasmodium, the causal organisms of malaria, live parasitically in the red blood cells of man. The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc.
