Cue Column | Note-Taking Area

Causative agents? | Plasmodium vivax — benign tertian (48h cycle); forms hypnozoites (relapse) | P. falciparum — malignant tertian (48h); most dangerous; cerebral malaria; NO hypnozoites

Life cycle stages? | In Human (intermediate host): | 1. Sporozoites injected → travel to liver | 2. Liver schizogony → hepatic merozoites (pre-erythrocytic) | 3. Merozoites invade RBCs → erythrocytic schizogony → haemozoin + merozoites → RBC lysis (fever) | 4. Some merozoites → gametocytes (taken up by mosquito) | In Female Anopheles (definitive host): | 5. Gametocytes → gametes → fertilization → zygote → ookinete → oocyst → sporozoites → salivary glands

Why periodic fever? | Synchronous RBC lysis releases haemozoin + parasite antigens → pyrogens (IL-1, TNF-α) → fever spike | 48h = erythrocytic schizogony cycle of P. vivax and P. falciparum

Definitive vs intermediate? | Mosquito = DEFINITIVE (sexual reproduction here) | Human = INTERMEDIATE $\frac{only asexual}{schizogony}$

Diagnosis? | Blood smear: ring-form trophozoites in RBCs; banana-shaped gametocytes = P. falciparum

Vector distinction? | Anopheles → malaria; Culex → filariasis; Aedes → dengue (ACE Rule)

Summary

Malaria life cycle = human (liver → RBC) + mosquito (sexual). P. falciparum = most dangerous (cerebral malaria, no hypnozoites). P. vivax = relapse (hypnozoites). Fever from haemozoin. Diagnosis: blood smear. Vector: female Anopheles.

Wikimedia Diagram

[Plasmodium lifecycle: Sporozoite (mosquito saliva → human liver) → Merozoite (liver cells → RBCs) → Trophozoite → Schizont (RBC rupture = fever) → Gametocyte (ingested by Anopheles) → Oocyst → Sporozoites (salivary glands) — 14 day cycle for P. vivax]