Biology
P. vivax can reproduce both asexually and sexually, depending on its life cycle stage.
Asexual forms:
- Immature trophozoites (Ring or signet-ring shaped), about 1/3 of the diameter of a RBC.
- Mature trophozoites: Very irregular and delicate (described as amoeboid); many pseudopodial processes seen. Presence of fine grains of brown pigment (malarial pigment) or hematin probably derived from the haemoglobin of the infected red blood cell.
- Schizonts (also called meronts): As large as a normal red cell; thus the parasitized corpuscle becomes distended and larger than normal. There are about sixteen merozoites.
Sexual forms: Gametocytes: Round. The gametocytes of P. vivax are commonly found in the peripheral blood at about the end of the first week of parasitemia.
It has been suggested that P. vivax has horizontally acquired genetic material from humans.
Read more about this topic: Plasmodium Vivax
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