Parasitology Exam 3: Malaria and Babesia Flashcards
What genus of organisms cause malaria?
Plasmodium sp.
What is the major species associated with the most deadly malarial infections worldwide?
Plasmodium falciparum
What are the most common malarial infections (95% of infections) ?
P. vivax and P. falciparum
When Plasmodium bites a human, what stage do they infect the human with? (i.e. what is the infective stage of Plasmodium in humans)
Sporozoites
After the injection of sporozoites in the human, what happens next in the malarial life cycle? (this happens in humans)
Sporozoites enter the blood and are carried to the liver where they grow in hepatocytes. This initiates the preerythrocytic or primary exoerythrocytic cycle.
What is schizogony?
Rapid division and multiplication of sporozoites
Intracellular sporozoites mature into _______. (this happens in humans)
Schizonts
After the schizont ruptures, what do they release? Where do these go? What cycle does this initiate? (this happens in humans)
Release merozoites; leave the liver to invade RBCs; this initiates the erythrocytic cycle
Merozoites feed on hemoglobin to become mature ___________. (this happens in humans)
Trophozoites
Tropozoites multiply and mature into _______. (this happens in humans)
Schizonts
Mature schizonts contain ________ which are released into the bloodstream and start a new cycle of ___________. (this happens in humans)
Merozoites; erythrocytic schizogony
Merozoites can begin to undergo development into male and female __________. These are then ingested by the mosquito when it takes a blood meal. (this happens in humans)
Gametocytes
Describe the malarial life cycle that occurs in MOSQUITOES.
- Mosquito takes a blood meal –> ingests gametocytes
- Male + female gametocytes generate zygotes
- Zygotes become motile and form ookinetes
- Ookinetes develop into oocyts
- Oocyts mature and release sporozoites
- Sporozoites are introduced into a new human host and cycle continues
Describe the malarial life cycle that occurs in HUMANS.
- Anopheles takes blood meal and releases sporozoites
- Sporozoites carried to the liver, enter hepatocytes –> initiation of preeythrocytic/primary exoerythrocytic cycle, schizogony occurs
- Sporozoites mature into schizonts
- Schizont ruptures and releases merozoites
- Merozoites leave the liver and invade RBC –> erythrocytic cycle
- Merozoites feed on Hgb and become mature trophozoites
- Trophozoites multiply and mature into schizonts
- Schizonts again rupture and release more merozoites initiating a new cycle of erythrocytic schizogony
- Some merozoites undergo development into gametocytes
- Gametocytes ingested by new mosquito
What are the possible diagnostic stages of malaria in humans?
Detection of immature trophozoites AKA merozoites (ring stage), mature trophozoites, schizonts, or gametocytes in the thick or thin blood smear.
Where do sporozoites invade? What cycle does this initiate?
Where do merozoites invade? What cycle does this initiate?
Sporozoites invade hepatocytes (liver) –> preerythrocytic cycle
Merozoites invade RBC –> erythrocytic cycle
What stage of malarial infection is the ring form we can see in blood smears?
Merozoites (immature trophozoites)
What is dormant schizogony and what organisms can exhibit this?
Organisms remaining quiescent in the liver –> hypnozoites
Can lead to relapse
P. vivax and P. ovale
What are hypnozoites and what organisms can display this?
Resting stage of malarial infection remaining quiescent in the liver
P. vivax and P. ovale
Microgametocytes vs Macrogametocytes
Microgametocytes = male sexual stage of malaria
Macrogametocytes = female sexual stage of malaria
Schizont
A multinucleated cell undergoing schizogony, contains merozoites
Exo-erythrocytic cycle vs erythrocytic cycle
Exoerythrocytic cycle = occurs in liver cells
Erythrocytic cycle = occurs in RBCs
Definitive vs intermediate host of malaria
Definitive = Anopheles mosquito (sexual stages found)
Intermediate = humans (asexual stages found)
What is the sexual stage of malaria?
Gametocytes