sporozoite
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Introduction
Elongated body resulting from repeated division of the oocyst during sporogony. The initial form is a sporoblast, which develops into a sporocyst & eventually a sporozoite.
In the case of malaria, it is the form concentrated in the salivary glands. The sporozoite is injected into the bloodstream via a mosquitoe bite. It enters hepatocytes where it undergoes merogony to form merozoites which infect erythrocytes resulting in the intermittent fever of malaria.
More specific terms
Additional terms
References
- ↑ Stedman's Medical Dictionary 26th ed, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, 1995