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plasmodium |
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plasmodium, name for a stage in the life cycle of a slime mold slime mold or slime fungus, a heterotrophic organism once regarded as a fungus but later classified with the Protista . In a recent system of classification based on analysis of nucleic acid (genetic material) sequences, slime molds have been ..... Click the link for more information. . Also, Plasmodium is the name given to the genus of the protozoan parasite that causes malaria malaria, infectious parasitic disease that can be either acute or chronic and is frequently recurrent. Malaria is common in Africa, Central and South America, the Mediterranean countries, Asia, and many of the Pacific islands. ..... Click the link for more information. . plasmodiumAny of the parasitic protozoans that make up the genus Plasmodium, the cause of malaria. Infecting red blood cells in mammals, birds, and reptiles, plasmodia occur worldwide, especially in tropical and temperate zones. They are transmitted to humans by the bite of the Anopheles mosquito. From the bloodstream, young plasmodia enter liver cells, where they divide and form an adult stage that is then released back into the bloodstream and infects red blood cells. Rapid division of the parasites results in the destruction of the red blood cells, which release toxins that cause the periodic chill and fever cycles typical of malaria. plasmodium [plaz′mō·dē·əm] (microbiology) The noncellular, multinucleate, jellylike, ameboid, assimilative stage of the Myxomycetes. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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| A monkey's tale: the origin of Plasmodium vivax as a human malaria parasite. More infections would be due to the dangerous malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, which requires a minimum of 18[degrees]C (65[degrees]F) to complete its life cycle, whereas the nonlethal Plasmodium vivax can make do with a cooler 16[degrees]C (61[degrees]F). We present evidence that the El Nino phenomenon intensifies the annual cycle of malaria cases for Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum in endemic areas of Colombia as a consequence of concomitant anomalies in the normal annual cycle of temperature and precipitation. |
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