Question

Maurer's dots occur in human RBCs infected by

• A. Plasmodium falciparum
• B. Plasmodium ovale
• C. Plasmodium vivax
• D. Plasmodium malariae

Answer 1

The correct option is A Plasmodium falciparum

Malaria is caused by the protozoan parasite Plasmodium. Four species of Plasmodium are known to cause different types of malaria in humans. They are Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium malariae. The life cycle of Plasmodium is characterized by an exogenous sexual phase (sporogony), in which multiplication occurs in female Anopheles mosquitoes and an endogenous asexual phase (schizogony) which take place in the RBCs of the infected host. Different dots showed by RBC's of the host infected by different Plasmodium species are: Plasmodium falciparum - Maurer's dots Plasmodium ovale - Schuffner's dots Plasmodium vivax - Schuffner's dots Plasmodium malariae - Ziemann's dots Thus, the correct answer is option A.