An Introduction

Plasmodium is the genus name of a group of parasitic protists. If infected by plasmodium, you get what is called malaria. Malaria infects red blood cells in humans, which can lead to fever, chills, and in extreme cases, death. There are 5 species which are known to cause malaria: P. vivax, P. ovale, P. falciparum, P. malariae, and P. knowlesi. Although infection by five microscopic species may not seem like a lot, malaria is still responsible for nearly 1 million deaths every year.

 

                                                    P. falciparum in blood cells