(b) Explain the events which occur within a female Anopheles mosquito after it has sucked blood from a malaria patient.
The development of Plasmodium in the mosquito’s gut and migration of sporozoites to the salivary glands are key for disease transmission.
Gametocytes of Plasmodium are ingested by the mosquito via a blood meal and enter its gut. Within the mosquito's stomach, these gametocytes mature into gametes. The gametes then undergo fusion to create zygotes, which subsequently develop into sporozoites. These sporozoites then travel to the mosquito's salivary glands, rendering the mosquito capable of infecting a new host.