\Malaria parasite\
Any of several minute protozoans of the genus {Plasmodium}
(syn. {H[ae]matozo["o]n}) which in their adult condition live
in the tissues of mosquitoes of the genus {Anopheles} (which
see) and when transferred to the blood of man, by the bite of
the mosquito, produce malaria.
Note: The young parasites, or sporozoites, enter the red
      blood corpuscles, growing at their expense, undergoing
      sporulation, and finally destroying the corpuscles,
      thus liberating in the blood plasma an immense number
      of small spores called merozoites. An indefinite but
      not ultimated number of such generations may follow,
      but if meanwhile the host is bitten by a mosquito, the
      parasites develop into gametes in the stomach of the
      insect. These conjugate, the zygote thus produced
      divides, forming spores, and eventually sporozoites,
      which, penetrating to the salivary glands of the
      mosquito, may be introduced into a new host. The
      attacks of the disease coincide with the dissolution of
      the corpuscles and liberation of the spores and
      products of growth of the parasites into the blood
      plasma. Several species of the parasite are
      distinguished, as {P. vivax}, producing tertian
      malaria; {P. malari[ae]}, quartan malaria; and {P.
      (subgenus Laverania) falciferum}, the malarial fever of
      summer and autumn common in the tropics.