What is Sporogony in parasitology?

Transmission of malaria relies on the successful development of Plasmodium parasites within mosquitoes, a process termed sporogony. Sporogony is a complex event involving several morphologically distinct life-stages [1, 2] and begins when mosquitoes ingest blood containing male and female gametocytes.

What are the distinguishing features of the malaria parasites?

The morphological characteristics (size, shape and appearance) of the blood stages are characteristic for each Plasmodium spp. Microgametocytes have a larger more diffuse nucleus (ready for gamete production) while macrogametocytes have darker-staining cytoplasm (plentiful ribosomes for protein synthesis).

What is pathogenesis of malaria?

Life cycle — Human malaria occurs by transmission of Plasmodium sporozoites via a bite from an infected female anopheline mosquito (figure 1). The sporozoites travel from the salivary glands of the mosquito through the bloodstream of the host to the liver, where they invade hepatocytes.

Why the life cycle of Plasmodium is called Digenetic?

> Plasmodium, the malaria parasite is a protozoan parasite and its life cycle is digenetic, as it requires two hosts to complete its life cycle – an invertebrate female anopheles mosquito as its primary host (where sexual reproduction occurs) and a vertebrate (man) as its secondary or intermediate host (where asexual …

What is the life cycle of malarial parasite?

The malaria parasite life cycle involves two hosts. During a blood meal, a malaria-infected female Anopheles mosquito inoculates sporozoites into the human host . Sporozoites infect liver cells and mature into schizonts , which rupture and release merozoites .

What is the incubation period of malaria parasite?

Following the infective bite by the Anopheles mosquito, a period of time (the “incubation period”) goes by before the first symptoms appear. The incubation period in most cases varies from 7 to 30 days. The shorter periods are observed most frequently with P. falciparum and the longer ones with P.

What is the life cycle of malaria parasite?

What are the two hosts of malaria parasite?

Plasmodium parasites’ primary hosts and transmission vectors are female Anopheles mosquitoes. Humans and other vertebrates are secondary hosts. The mosquitoes first take in the parasite by feeding on the blood of an infected person.

What is the asexual life cycle of malaria parasite?

Upon release, the merozoites invade the red blood cells where they undergo another asexual cycle called erythrocytic schizogony. This is also known as the erythrocytic cycle. During this stage the merozoites develop to form immature or ring stage trophozoites which then progress to mature trophozoites.

How long does malaria parasite stay in body?

Malaria signs and symptoms typically begin within a few weeks after being bitten by an infected mosquito. However, some types of malaria parasites can lie dormant in your body for up to a year.

What is the sexual life cycle of malaria?

Life cycle of malaria parasite involves two host and consists of a sexual cycle or sporogony in mosquito and asexual cycle or schizogony in man. Man is actually the intermediate host while mosquito is the definitive host. During a blood meal a malaria-infected female Anopheles mosquito inoculates sporozoites into the human host.

Where does Plasmodium sporogonic stage of malaria occur?

Malaria is a parasitic disease caused by Plasmodium parasites that are transmitted to their mammalian hosts by the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. In 2017, an estimated 435,000 deaths were attributed to malaria, 80% of which occurred in the regions of Africa and India and 61% of which in children under the age of 5.

Who are the hosts of the malaria parasite?

Life cycle of malaria parasite involves two host and consists of a sexual cycle or sporogony in mosquito and asexual cycle or schizogony in man. Man is actually the intermediate host while mosquito is the definitive host.

How are transmissible forms of Plasmodium sporogony formed?

The transmissible forms of Plasmodium parasites result from a process of sporogony that takes place inside their obligatory mosquito vector and culminates in the formation of mammalian-infective parasite forms.