Question

Which of the following statements is correct about Plasmodium ?

• A. Fertilization takes place in mosquito gut
• B. Reproduces sexually in liver cells
• C. Reproduces sexually in RBCs
• D. Gametocytes develop in mosquito gut

Hint:

Humans serve as the intermediate host (where asexual reproduction occurs). Female Anopheles mosquitoes serve as the definitive host (where fertilization and sexual reproduction occur). Sporozoite is the infectious stage of the parasite that is injected into the human body.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Set the scene.
Plasmodium is the malaria parasite with a two-host life cycle, part in humans and part in the female Anopheles mosquito.
Step 2: Recall the human phase.
Inside humans, sporozoites multiply asexually in liver cells, then enter red blood cells (RBCs) and again multiply asexually, releasing merozoites.
Step 3: Recall where gametocytes form.
The sexual forms, the gametocytes, develop inside human RBCs, not in the mosquito. So option (4) is wrong.
Step 4: Recall the mosquito phase.
When the mosquito bites and takes blood, the gametocytes mature into gametes inside the mosquito gut, and fertilization happens there.
Step 5: Test each option.
Reproduction in liver cells and in RBCs is asexual, so options (2) and (3) are wrong. Fertilization in the mosquito gut matches the actual cycle.
Step 6: Conclude.
The correct statement is that fertilization takes place in the mosquito gut, which is option (1).
\[ \boxed{\text{Fertilization takes place in mosquito gut}} \]