Editing Plasmodium (section)

{{Short description|Genus of parasitic protists that can cause malaria}}
{{For|the multinucleate stage of some microorganisms|Plasmodium (life cycle)}}
{{Good article}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Malaria.jpg
| image_alt = False-colored electron micrograph of a sporozoite
| image_caption = False-colored [[electron micrograph]] of a [[sporozoite]]
| taxon = Plasmodium
| authority = [[Ettore Marchiafava|Marchiafava]] & [[Angelo Celli|Celli]], 1885
| synonyms_ref = <!--
| subdivision_ranks = Subgenera and species
| subdivision_ref = <ref>{{cite web|title=''Plasmodium''|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?mode=Undef&id=5820&lvl=3&srchmode=1&keep=1&unlock|website=NCBI taxonomy|publisher=National Center for Biotechnology Information|access-date=5 January 2019|location=Bethesda, MD|language=en|format=HTML}}</ref>
| subdivision = 
* ''[[Bennettinia|Plasmodium (Bennettinia)]]''
* ''[[Carinamoeba|Plasmodium (Carinamoeba)]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium carmelinoi]]''
* ''[[Giovannolaia|Plasmodium (Giovannolaia)]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium circumflexum]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium homocircumflexum]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium lophurae]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium polare]]''
* ''[[Haemamoeba|Plasmodium (Haemamoeba)]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium cathemerium]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium gallinaceum]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium lutzi]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium matutinum]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium relictum]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium tejerai]]''
* ''[[Huffia|Plasmodium (Huffia)]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium elongatum]]''
* ''[[Lacertamoeba|Plasmodium (Lacertamoeba)]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium floridense]]''
* ''[[Laverania|Plasmodium (Laverania)]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium billbrayi]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium falciparum]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium gaboni]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium lomamiensis]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium reichenowi]]''
* ''[[Novyella|Plasmodium (Novyella)]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium ashfordi]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium delichoni]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium globularis]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium homonucleophilum]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium homopolare]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium juxtanucleare]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium lucens]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium megaglobularis]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium multivacuolaris]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium nucleophilum]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium parahexamerium]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium paranucleophilum]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium rouxi]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium unalis]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium vaughani]]''
* ''[[Paraplasmodium|Plasmodium (Paraplasmodium)]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium chiricahuae]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium mexicanum]]''
* ''[[Plasmodium (Plasmodium)|Plasmodium (Plasmodium)]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium brasilianum]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium cynomolgi]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium cynomolgi bastianelli]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium cynomolgi ceylonensis]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium fieldi]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium fragile]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium gonderi]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium inui]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium inui inui]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium knowlesi]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium malariae]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium ovale]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium ovale curtisi]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium ovale wallikeri]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium simiovale]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium vivax]]''
* ''[[Sauramoeba|Plasmodium (Sauramoeba)]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium agamae]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium giganteum]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium kentropyxi]]''
* ''[[Vinckeia|Plasmodium (Vinckeia)]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium atheruri]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium berghei]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium berghei ANKA]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium berghei yoelii]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium chabaudi]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium chabaudi adami]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium chabaudi chabaudi]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium vinckei]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium vinckei brucechwatti]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium vinckei lentum]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium vinckei petteri]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium vinckei vinckei]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium yoelii]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium yoelii killicki]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium yoelii YM]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium yoelii yoelii]]''
*Species ''[[incertae sedis]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium azurophilum]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium bubalis]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium coatneyi]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium cuculus]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium cyclopsi]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium fairchildi]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium gemini]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium guanggong]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium heteronucleare]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium hispaniolae]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium hylobati]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium intabazwe]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium koreafense]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium lacertiliae]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium leucocytica]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium mackerrasae]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium megalotrypa]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium minuoviride]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium odocoilei]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium simium]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium streptopelia]]''
** ''[[Plasmodium zonuriae]]'' -->
}}

'''''Plasmodium''''' is a [[genus]] of unicellular [[eukaryote]]s that are [[obligate parasite]]s of [[vertebrate]]s and [[insect]]s. The life cycles of ''Plasmodium'' species involve development in a [[Hematophagy|blood-feeding]] insect [[host (biology)|host]] which then injects parasites into a vertebrate host during a blood meal. Parasites grow within a vertebrate body tissue (often the liver) before entering the bloodstream to infect [[red blood cell]]s. The ensuing destruction of host red blood cells can result in [[malaria]]. During this infection, some parasites are picked up by a blood-feeding insect ([[mosquito]]es in majority cases), continuing the life cycle.<ref name=CDCAbout>{{cite web |title=CDC – Malaria Parasites – About |url=https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/biology/parasites.html |website=CDC: Malaria |publisher=U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |access-date=28 December 2015}}</ref>

''Plasmodium'' is a member of the phylum [[Apicomplexa]], a large group of parasitic eukaryotes. Within Apicomplexa, ''Plasmodium'' is in the order [[Haemosporida]] and family [[Plasmodiidae]]. Over 200 species of ''Plasmodium'' have been described, many of which have been subdivided into 14 subgenera based on parasite morphology and host range. Evolutionary relationships among different ''Plasmodium'' species do not always follow taxonomic boundaries; some species that are morphologically similar or infect the same host turn out to be distantly related.

Species of ''Plasmodium'' are distributed globally wherever suitable hosts are found. Insect hosts are most frequently [[mosquito]]es of the genera ''[[Culex]]'' and ''[[Anopheles]]''. Vertebrate hosts include reptiles, birds, and mammals. ''Plasmodium'' parasites were first identified in the late 19th century by [[Charles Laveran]]. Over the course of the 20th century, many other species were discovered in various hosts and classified, including five species that regularly infect humans: ''[[Plasmodium vivax|P. vivax]]'', ''[[Plasmodium falciparum|P. falciparum]]'', ''[[Plasmodium malariae|P. malariae]]'', ''[[Plasmodium ovale|P. ovale]]'', and ''[[Plasmodium knowlesi|P. knowlesi]]''. ''P. falciparum'' is by far the most lethal in humans, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths per year. A number of [[antimalarial medication|drugs]] have been developed to treat ''Plasmodium'' infection; however, the parasites have evolved resistance to each drug developed.

Although the parasite can also infect people via [[blood transfusion]], this is very rare, and ''Plasmodium'' cannot be spread from person to person. Some of subspecies of ''Plasmodium'' are [[Intracellular parasite|obligate intracellular parasites]].