Plasmodium falciparum life cycle

1: Mosquito bite, transmission of sporozoite

2: Liver, Asexual replication. 1 sporozoite → 10-30,000 merozoites

3: Blood, Merozoites infect RBC and become trophozoites and consume Hgb. RBC ruptures releasing merozoites.

4: Merozoites infect other RBCs or transform into gametocytes

5: Transmission to mosquito. Sexual reproduction to make ookinete and sporozoite that migrates to mosquito salivary gland.



BWH Medicine Chiefs @BrighamChiefs



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