Which statement is true about the pathogen that causes malaria?

Which statement is true about the pathogen that causes malaria?

• A. It is a virus
• B. It is a bacterium
• C. It is a plasmodium
• D. It is a fungus

Answer: (C)

Malaria is caused by a protozoan parasite in the genus Plasmodium. This means the pathogen is a single-celled eukaryote that spends part of its life cycle inside humans—first in the liver and then within red blood cells. It is transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes, which inject sporozoites into a person during a bite. This type of organism is distinct from viruses (which need host cells to replicate), bacteria (which are prokaryotes), and fungi (a separate group of eukaryotic organisms). The Plasmodium parasite’s life cycle and its effects on red blood cells explain the clinical fever patterns seen in malaria.

Malaria is caused by a protozoan parasite in the genus Plasmodium. This means the pathogen is a single-celled eukaryote that spends part of its life cycle inside humans—first in the liver and then within red blood cells. It is transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes, which inject sporozoites into a person during a bite. This type of organism is distinct from viruses (which need host cells to replicate), bacteria (which are prokaryotes), and fungi (a separate group of eukaryotic organisms). The Plasmodium parasite’s life cycle and its effects on red blood cells explain the clinical fever patterns seen in malaria.