Figure 2.

Life cycle of Plasmodium falciparum. Spz entry through the bite of a female Anopheles mosquito begins the Plasmodium spp. life-cycle in humans. Spz travel through the bloodstream to reach and invade liver cells, thereby initiating the pre-erythrocyte cycle [70]. Spz grow and divide within the hepatocytes, producing 10,000–30,000 Mz per invaded hepatocyte, depending on the Plasmodium specie [71]. Once Mz are released into the bloodstream, each one can invade RBCs in about 45 s. Mz develop to ring, trophozoite and (48 to 72 h) schizont stages inside RBC, producing about 8–32 Mz which can invade new RBC [72]. Some Mz develop into sexual forms called gametes (male and female) which are ingested by a mosquito. Sexual reproduction takes place within a mosquito’s midgut where new Spz migrate to the salivary glands to start the parasite’s life-cycle all over again [73].