Schizont Development
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How does schizont appearance change during their development?
THE INITIAL ASEXUAL DIVISION
The cartoon image (A) shows the division of chromatin into two distinct purple chromatin masses within the blue parasite cytoplasm (at this point the cytoplams is not divided so indiviual merozoites are not really distinguishable). A clinical image of a parasite at this developmental stage (P.ovale with well shown James'dots) is shown in panel (B).
IMMATURE SCHIZONT APPEARANCES
The cartoon image (A) shows the further division of chromatin (Chr) into many discrete massed within the blue parasite cytoplasm (Cy). Indiviual merozoites are still not distinguishable but the malaria pigment is obvious (Pi). A clinical image of a parasite at this developmental stage (again from P.ovale with well shown James'dots and malaria pigment) is shown in panel (B).
MATURE SCHIZONT APPEARANCES By this stage the individual merozoites can be distinguished, each with a chromatin dot and cytoplasm; they are now ready for release from the red cell.
The asexual division cycles are now complete cartoon image (A) shows the merozoites (M) as discrete chromatin with blue cytoplasm. Malaria pigment is present (P). The clinical image of a parasite at this developmental stage (again from P.ovale with well shown James'dots and malaria pigment) is shown in panel (B).
In the final stage the red cell membrane is broken down, swelling then separating to release the merozoites and any malaria pigment into the blood where each merozoite enters a red cell to form a new early trophozoite and increasing the infection load. Merozoites cause the red cell membrane to be expanded then to break down; the merozoites (M) are now clearly separate and move apart, the pigment (P) is also released during this process (A); this is shown in the clinical image (B) although this brief stage is rarely seen in practice (P.malariae). |