The correct option is
D Gametocytes
Gametocytes, the precursors of male and female gametes of malaria parasites are formed in the human host through the developmental switch from asexual replication in erythrocytes. Although, gametocytes are not responsible for clinical symptoms, they ensure the transmission of malaria to another host.
Upon taking a blood meal, gametocytes are transferred to a mosquito’s midgut lumen, where they differentiate into male and female gametes. After complete sexual reproduction and successive processes of sporogonic development, mature sporozoites accumulate in the vector’s salivary gland, ready to be inoculated into a new host.
Therefore, the presence of gametocytes in circulation of infected individuals is imperative for malaria to remain endemic in a given community.
Male and female gametocytes are the components of the malarial parasite life cycle, which are taken up from an infected host bloodstream by mosquitoes and thus, mediate disease transmission. These gamete precursors are quite distinct from their asexual blood stage counterparts and this is reflected in their distinct patterns of gene expression, cellular development and metabolism.
Therefore, the correct answer is option C.