This past week we learned about animal like protists. One group is the sporozoans. This group of parasitic protists are responsible for deadly diseases like malaria. Malaria is a disease that affects 40 million people each year, killing 2 million in Africa alone. The life cycle of plasmodium, a unicellular protist, uses the mosquito, a common pest in many parts of the world.
The disease arises when an infected mosquito bites a person and transfers plasmodium into the blood stream of the human. From there it travels to the liver.
Click on the mosquito picture on this page and learn about malaria from the Why Files.
What can be done to stop this deadly protist? Some scientists are working to change the DNA of the protist. Others are working on a treatment that would help the body fight the parasite once it enters the body. Remember learning about vaccines and the body making memory cells? Click on the link below and watch as a scientist describes what is happening in his lab with this new idea.
Breeding Mosquitoes
Post me a comment and tell me why everyone in the video are wearing suits and masks.
They were also working with microscopes to do their work. Tell me what you think about using the microscope. What is your favorite part of lab work?
The disease arises when an infected mosquito bites a person and transfers plasmodium into the blood stream of the human. From there it travels to the liver.
Click on the mosquito picture on this page and learn about malaria from the Why Files.
What can be done to stop this deadly protist? Some scientists are working to change the DNA of the protist. Others are working on a treatment that would help the body fight the parasite once it enters the body. Remember learning about vaccines and the body making memory cells? Click on the link below and watch as a scientist describes what is happening in his lab with this new idea.
Breeding Mosquitoes
Post me a comment and tell me why everyone in the video are wearing suits and masks.
They were also working with microscopes to do their work. Tell me what you think about using the microscope. What is your favorite part of lab work?
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