Question

The diagram given below shows the life cycle of a malarial parasite. Study it carefully and answer the questions that follows:

1. Name the hosts in which the asexual phase and sexual phase of the life cycle takes place.
2. Identify the infective stage labelled ‘D’.
3. Name the structure labelled ‘A’ and ‘E’.
4. Give any one symptom of malaria.

Answer 1

1. The asexual phase of the life cycle takes place in human beings, while the sexual phase occurs in the female Anopheles mosquito.
2. The gametocyte is the infectious stage that contains the uninucleate, lancet-shaped sporozoite (approximately 1 x 7 µm). Sporozoites are produced during sexual reproduction in the midgut of Anopheles mosquitos and migrate to the salivary glands.
3. The structure labelled 'A' represents the liver, while the structure labelled 'E' corresponds to red blood cells (RBC).
4. A symptom of malaria is experiencing shaking chills.