Question

Describe the lifecycle of plasmodium vivax in a mosquito.

Answer 1

Hint: Malaria has been one of the most frequently recognised illnesses. It is caused by Plasmodium, a pathogenic blood protozoan.

Complete answer:
Plasmodium vivax is a protozoan parasite and a human pathogen. This parasite is by far the most widespread and widely spread cause of recurrent malaria. Plasmodium vivax malaria infections lead to severe disease and death. The vivax is carried by the female Anopheles mosquito.
The plasmodium vivax completes their life cycle in two hosts namely
The primary or definite host: The female mosquito Anopheles is the main host. An individual that contains the reproductive process of the parasite and is known to be the definitive host.
The secondary or intermediate host: The human being is a secondary host. Humans contain the asexual process of the parasite and show signs of the disease due to the presence of the parasite and are referred to as secondary hosts.

The life cycle of Plasmodium vivax is separated into two steps.
1.Asexual life cycle or schizogony in man: Schizogony is the method of asexual reproduction by which Plasmodium experiences asexual replication in the liver cells and RBCs of humans. It exists in human liver cells. Whenever an infected female Anopheles mosquito bites a normal human, thousands of sporozoites and saliva are released into the bloodstream. This causes liver and RBC infections. The steps involved are
a.Pre-erythrocytic schizogony
b.Exo-erythrocytic cycle
c.Erythrocytic cycle
d.Post-erythrocytic cycle
e.Formation of gametocytes

2.Sexual life cycle or sporogony in female Anopheles mosquito: When female Anopheles bites mosquitoes and infected humans, they suck the blood from the gametocytes. They hit the stomach where all levels, except gametocytes, are digested along with RBCs. Now the life cycle continues towards completion. The steps involved are
a.Formation of gametes
b.Fertilization
c.Formation of ookinete
d.Formation of oocytes
e.Sporogony

Note: Female Anopheles mosquito spreads plasmodium from person to person. Plasmodium is an intracellular parasite of human RBCs.