Malaria and Human Parasitology

Vocabulary flashcards focused on key terms related to malaria and human parasitology.

Apicomplexan protozoa

A group of protozoan parasites including species that cause malaria.

Sporozoites

Infective stage of malaria transmitted to humans through mosquito bites.

Schizont

A stage in the life cycle of malaria parasites, found in liver cells and blood cells where they multiply.

PfEMP1

Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1, involved in antigenic variation.

Gametocytes

The sexual form of malaria parasites that can be taken up by mosquitoes.

HDP1

Homeodomain protein 1, a transcriptional regulator important in early sexual differentiation of malaria parasites.

RTS,S/AS01

A malaria vaccine targeting Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites.

Transposon

A genetic element that can change its position within a genome, used in mutagenesis studies.

Epigenetics

The study of heritable changes in gene function that do not involve changes to the underlying DNA sequence.

Gene silencing

A mechanism through which the expression of a gene is reduced or eliminated.

Monoclonal expression

The expression of a single allele of a gene in a given cell, often used by parasites to evade the host immune response.

RNA interference (RNAi)

A biological process in which RNA molecules inhibit gene expression, important for gene regulation in malaria.

Matrix-M

An adjuvant derived from saponins used to enhance the immune response in vaccines.

Genetically attenuated

Refers to organisms that have been genetically modified to reduce their virulence.

Circumsporozoite protein (CSP)

A protein expressed on the surface of sporozoites that is targeted by malaria vaccines.