NEET BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -When the parasites mature, they leave the liver and infect red blood cells. Malaria is caused by a single-celled parasite of the genus plasmodium. The parasite is transmitted to humans most commonly through mosquito bites.

Detailed explanation-2: -The Plasmodium parasite is spread by mosquitoes. These are known as ‘night-biting’ mosquitoes because they most commonly bite between sunset and sunrise. When a mosquito bites a person already infected with malaria, it becomes infected and spreads the parasite to the next person it bites.

Detailed explanation-3: -The malaria parasite Plasmodium utilizes specialized proteins for adherence to cellular receptors in its mosquito vector and human host. Adherence is critical for parasite development, host cell traversal and invasion, and protection from vector and host immune mechanisms.

Detailed explanation-4: -Blood parasites of the genus Plasmodium. There are approximately 156 named species of Plasmodium which infect various species of vertebrates. Four species are considered true parasites of humans, as they utilize humans almost exclusively as a natural intermediate host: P. falciparum, P. vivax, P.