Malaria

Question 1

What is malaria caused by?

Answer 1

The single celled malaria parasite

Question 2

Do mosquitos cause malaria?

Answer 2

No, they just pass on the parasite as they’re feeding on blood

Question 3

What are the 4 different forms of the malaria parasite?

Answer 3

Gametocytes, sporozoites, merozoites, schizonts

Question 4

State what happens between gametocytes and sporozoites

Answer 4

In the blood the mosquito sucks up, these then reproduce sexually inside the mosquito, these gametocytes turn into sproziotes in the salivary glands

Question 5

State what happens between sporozoites and merozoites

Answer 5

When a mosquito bites another person, they transfer sporoziotes into their blood stream which enter the liver cells, they then divide asexually rapidly and form merozoites

Question 6

State what happens between merozoites and schizonts

Answer 6

Thousands of merozites are released from the liver and invade RBC,the merozite grows and the nucleus divides asexually producing a cell called a schizont

Question 7

State what happens to the schizonts

Answer 7

Schizont divides and produces many merozoites, RBC bursts releasing merozoites and toxins, cycle is repeated

Question 8

State what happens to the merozoites which do not become schizonts

Answer 8

They enter a sexual phase producing gametocytes. RBC containing gaetocytes are sucked up by the mosquito repeating the life cycle