Question

Which disease is caused by Plasmodium?

• A. Dengue
• B. Typhoid
• C. Malaria
• D. Filariasis

Hint:

Remember the different species of Plasmodium:
P. vivax, P. malariae, and P. falciparum.
Among these, Plasmodium falciparum causes malignant malaria, which is the most serious, severe, and potentially fatal form of the disease.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
This question belongs to the topic "Human Health and Diseases" in the NCERT Class 12 curriculum.
We need to identify which of the given diseases is caused by the protozoan pathogen Plasmodium.

Step 2: Key Concept or Approach:
Plasmodium is a genus of unicellular eukaryotic protozoans that cause Malaria in humans.
The life cycle of the Plasmodium parasite requires two hosts to complete: a female Anopheles mosquito, which serves as the vector and primary host, and a human, who serves as the secondary host.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:

• When an infected female Anopheles mosquito bites a human, it injects the infectious stage of the parasite, called sporozoites, into the bloodstream.

• These sporozoites travel to the liver, where they multiply asexually before entering and rupturing the red blood cells (RBCs).

• The rupture of RBCs releases a toxic substance called haemozoin, which causes the classic symptoms of malaria: recurring high fever, chills, and sweating every 3 to 4 days.

• Let us analyze the other options to confirm why they are incorrect:
-

Dengue: A viral disease caused by the Dengue virus and transmitted by the bite of the female Aedes aegypti mosquito.
-

Typhoid: A bacterial infection caused by Salmonella typhi, transmitted through contaminated food and water.
-

Filariasis: Also known as Elephantiasis, it is caused by the filarial worm Wuchereria bancrofti and is transmitted by the bite of female Culex mosquitoes.



Step 4: Final Answer:
The disease caused by the protozoan Plasmodium is Malaria, which corresponds to option (C).