plasmodium

Examples of plasmodium in the following topics:

• 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.

• 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.

• 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 .