Plasmodium
![](/Images/godic/202412/21/Malaria0402.jpg")
![The life cycle of malaria parasites. A mosquito causes an infection by a bite. First, sporozoites enter the dermis, where they migrate to enter the bloodstream. They specifically arrest in the liver to infect liver cells, where they multiply into merozoites, which return to the bloodstream. Then, the merozoites infect red blood cells, where they develop into ring forms, trophozoites and schizonts that in turn produce further merozoites. Sexual forms are also produced, which, if taken up by a mosquito, will infect the insect and continue the life cycle.](/Images/godic/202412/21/Life_Cycle_of_the_Malaria_Parasite0402.jpg")
![Plasmodium is a Eukaryote, an organism whose cells have a nucleus, but with unusual features](/Images/godic/202412/21/Plasmodium0402.png")
![Trophozoites of the Plasmodium vivax parasite among human red blood cells](/Images/godic/202412/21/Immature_and_mature_trophozoites_of_the_Plasmodium_vivax_parasite_PHIL_2720_lores0402.jpg")
Plasmodium, commonly known as the malaria parasite, is a large genus of parasitic protozoa. As with some other genera of clinically important microorganisms, the genus name also yields a common noun; thus species of the genus are known as plasmodia. Infection with plasmodia is known as malaria, a deadly disease widespread in the tropics.