Malaria
Read the following passage carefully and answer the given questions.
Plasmodium, a tiny protozoan is responsible for malaria. Different species of Plasmodium (P. vivax, P. malaria and P. falciparum) are responsible for different types of malaria. Plasmodium enters the human body as sporozoites through the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquito. The parasites initially multiply within the liver cells and then attack the RBCs resulting in their rupture. The rupture of RBCs is associated with release of a toxic substance, which is responsible for the chill and high fever recurring every three to four days. When a female Anopheles mosquito bites an infected person, these parasites enter the mosquito’s body and undergo further development. The parasites multiply within them to form sporozoites that are stored in their salivary glands. When these mosquitos bite a human, the sporozoites are introduced in the body, thereby initiating the life cycle of parasite. It is interesting to note that the malarial parasite requires two hosts to complete its life cycle.
The two hosts required for malarial parasite to complete its life cycle are:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Female Anopheles mosquito and human
The malarial parasite needs two hosts to complete its life cycle: a human and a female Anopheles mosquito. The parasite multiplies in the human liver and red blood cells. It is taken up by the mosquito when it bites an infected person, and it develops further in the mosquito. The mosquito is also the vector, the one that carries the parasite to the next person.
(1) Female Culex mosquito and human — Incorrect. Culex is a mosquito that spreads other diseases, such as filariasis. It does not carry the malarial parasite.
(2) Female Aedes mosquito and human — Incorrect. Aedes spreads diseases such as dengue and chikungunya.
(3) Female Anopheles mosquito and human — Correct. These are the two hosts.
(4) Female Anopheles mosquito and monkey — Incorrect. The mosquito is right, but the other host of the malaria described here is the human.
Note: The passage is taken from NCERT. NTA has put lines of the NCERT text together to make it. Most CUET (UG) questions come straight from NCERT, so study the book line by line, including figures and their titles.