The vector of malaria parasites is
- A.Male Anopheles mosquito
- B.Male Culex mosquito
- C.Female Anopheles mosquito
- D.Female Culex mosquito
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, Female Anopheles mosquito. Only the female Anopheles bites humans for blood, and in doing so it passes the malaria parasite, Plasmodium, into the bloodstream.
Malaria is caused by a protozoan of the genus Plasmodium; P. falciparum causes the most dangerous form and P. vivax is very common in India. Female mosquitoes need a blood meal to develop their eggs, so they bite, take up the parasite from an infected person and later inject its sporozoites with their saliva. The parasite multiplies first in the liver and then in red blood cells, which is why the patient gets bouts of chills and fever. Ronald Ross proved the mosquito's role in 1897 in Secunderabad.
A is wrong because male mosquitoes feed on plant juices and nectar and do not bite. B is wrong because Culex males also do not bite. D is wrong because the female Culex spreads filariasis and Japanese encephalitis, not malaria.
Exam tip: female Anopheles spreads malaria, female Culex spreads filariasis, Aedes spreads dengue and chikungunya.
Practice Questions
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- A.Hydrogen
- B.Sulphur
- C.Phosphorus
- D.Helium
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- B.100 mm of Hg
- C.120 mm of Hg
- D.140 mm of Hg
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- B.Anthropologists
- C.Palaeontologists
- D.Geologists
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- A.Copper and H2
- B.Iron and H2
- C.Zinc and H2
- D.Nickel and H2
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- A.Gibberellins
- B.Abscisic acid
- C.Auxins
- D.Thyroxine
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