Question

Study a part of the life cycle of the malarial parasite given below. Answer the questions that follow:
(a) Mention the roles of ‘A’ in the life cycle of the malarial parasite.
(b) Name the event ‘C’ and the organ where this event occurs.
(c) Identify the organ ‘B’ and name the cells being released from it.

Answer 1

Hint: The malarial parasite needs two hosts to complete its life cycle. These are humans and mosquitoes. The female Anopheles mosquito is also the transmitting agent or vector.

Complete Answer:
Malaria is an infectious disease spread by mosquitoes that affects humans and other animals. Malaria triggers the usual symptoms of fever, weakness, vomiting and headaches. Yellow skin, seizures, coma or death may be caused in serious cases. Symptoms typically occur 10 to 15 days after an infected mosquito is bitten. Until treated correctly, patients will develop illness recurrences months later. Reinfection typically induces milder signs in people that have recently survived an infection. This partial tolerance disappears months to years if the person stays free from malaria exposure.

(a) ‘A’ is the female anopheles mosquito that carries malaria. A single-celled parasite, called Plasmodium, causes malaria. Female Anopheles mosquito picks up the parasite from infected individuals as they bite to get blood to feed their larvae. The parasites are reproducing and growing inside the mosquito. When the mosquito bites again the parasites found in the salivary gland are injected into the blood of the person being bitten.

(b) The event ‘C’ is known as fertilization that occurs in the intestinal wall of the female Anopheles mosquito. In the gut of this mosquito, fertilization and development of plasmodium take place.

(c) The organ ‘B’ is the salivary gland that releases sporozoites. When the mosquito bites another human, the sporozoites are injected with bite.

Note: Plasmodium is a protozoan which is responsible for malaria. Different Plasmodium species are responsible for multiple malaria types. The most severe and deadly malaria is malignant malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum.