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How Plasmodium Affects The Cardiovascular System

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Plasmodium is a parasite with over 100 species, but only four directly affect humans(“Malaria Parasites”). This parasite affects the circulatory system, or cardiovascular system. It’s structured of many things, and some structures are in common with animals or human cells. Even though it’s microscopic in size, it can cause a lot of damage. The parasite gets into the body from mosquitoes and infects the bloodstream of the circulatory system.
Plasmodium affects the cardiovascular system. The cardiovascular system includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood; it links all the parts of the body. This system carries needed materials such as oxygen to the cells and it also takes the waste products away, like carbon dioxide. It also transports cells that attacks disease-causing …show more content…

After the infecting agent gets into the human’s bloodstream they invade the liver within an hour; the parasite then takes about 15 days to mature(Collins, Jeffery, E.). The infecting agent divides and forms plasmodium merozoites which are then released into the bloodstream and infect red blood cells(“Plasmodium”). The plasmodium is an oval-shaped cell, measured at about .00006 inches long and .00004 inches wide. Plasmodium has a pellicular cisterna which makes up the golgi apparatus. The apparatus receives materials and sends them to other parts of the cell. The plasma membrane forms the external boundary and the merozoite coat acts like the cell membrane which lets things in and out of the cell. It has an apicoplast that allows the parasite to invade host cells, and microtubules that work with the inner membrane to give bulkiness to the cell. The micronemes help the cell invade the host, and the polar rings, apical end, rhoptries and dense granules all help it invade the cell. Plasmodium also has some things in common with animal or human cells: a nucleus, ribosomes, and a mitochondria(“Structure of Plasmodium

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