What is Plasmodium?
Q: What is Plasmodium?
A: Plasmodium is a large genus of parasitic protozoa, commonly known as the malaria parasite.
Q: How many species of Plasmodium are there?
A: There are about 200 species of Plasmodium.
Q: What is infection with these protozoans called?
A: Infection with these protozoans is called malaria.
Q: What two hosts does the life cycle of Plasmodium have?
A: The life cycle of Plasmodium has two hosts - a mosquito vector and a vertebrate host.
Q: How many species infect humans?
A: At least ten species of Plasmodium infect humans.
Q: What phylum do the Apicomplexa belong to? A: The Apicomplexa – the phylum to which Plasmodium belongs – are thought to have originated within the Dinoflagellates – a large group of photosynthetic protozoa.
Q: Which four species cause most forms of human malaria? A: The four most common forms of human malaria are caused by Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, and Plasmodium malariae.
