Malaria pigment

---

Navigation
Go Back

---

What are Maurer's dots and clefts? MPi1.jpg P.malariae with golden pigment over the parasite surface Description During their development malarial parasites metabolise the haemoglobin within erythrocytes to support their growth - hence infected cells become "ghost cells" devoid of visible haemoglobin at later stages of parasite development. As part of that process the parasite must "detoxify" the iron component of the haem element. This process creates a detoxified iron containing protein "haemazoin" which is visible as pigment - as you might expect this is most visible at late stages of parasite development. Species significance Pigment may vary in colour and may be clumped or scattered as individual small masses depending on species; in some instances this can help (most obviously in the central clump seen in the "daisy head" schizonts of P.malariae). Generally however, the form of the pigment is less useful than other features in determining species. Additional images MPi2.jpg P.malariae gametocyte with pigment around the parasite circumference MPi3.jpg P.ovale small schizont with loose pigment clump MPi4.jpg P.ovale late trophozoite with small pigment deposits over parasite Pigment in different stages of parasite development: