Question

In the life cycle of plasmodium, fertilisation takes place in

• A. Salivary glands of mosquito
• B. RBCs of humans
• C. Stomach of mosquito
• D. Liver cells

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

In the life cycle of Plasmodium (the malaria parasite), fertilization (syngamy) occurs in the midgut (stomach) of the female Anopheles mosquito.

Here, male and female gametocytes (from human blood) fuse to form a zygote, which develops into an ookinete and later into oocysts on the mosquito's gut wall.

• (A) Salivary glands: Sporozoites (infective stage) accumulate here but no fertilization occurs.
• (B) RBCs of humans: Gametocytes develop here but fertilization happens only in the mosquito.
• (D) Liver cells: Parasite undergoes asexual reproduction (schizogony), not fertilization.

Answer 2

Fertilization occurs when male and female gametocytes fuse in the mosquito’s gut, forming a zygote.

Plasmodium is a genus of parasitic protozoa that causes malaria in humans and other animals. It is transmitted primarily by the bite of an Anopheles mosquito, which carries the parasite from an infected individual to a healthy one.

Other stages:

• (A) Salivary glands: Sporozoites migrate here.
• (B) Human RBCs: Asexual reproduction (not fertilization).
• (D) Liver cells: Sporozoites mature here.

Correct Answer: (C) Stomach of mosquito