At what stage does Plasmodium gain entry into the human body ? Write the different stages of its life cycle in the human body.

Plasmodium gains entry into the human body during the sporozoite stage. The different stages of the life cycle of Plasmodium in the human body are:

(i) The sporozoites enter the human body through the bite of a female anopheles mosquito which acts as the vector.

(ii) These sporozoites move to the liver through the bloodstream and multiply within the liver cells.

(iii) The liver cells get infected and they burst and after rupturing the parasite flow in the bloodstream.

(iv) The parasites multiply rapidly in the RBCs and rupture them. The parasite ruptured RBCs release a toxin called haemozoin which causes high fever and chills in the body.

(v) When female anopheles mosquitoes bite an infected body these parasites enter the mosquito through blood sucked by the mosquito and undergo further multiplication.