Science and Development Network
News, views and information about science, technology and the developing world
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Definitions
- Antibiotic resistance
- Bird flu
- Climate change & insect-borne disease
- Genomics
- Malaria
- Nanotechnology for health
- Tuberculosis
Below is a directory of terms used to talk about malaria. Most definitions have been taken from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
G
Gametocyte
The sexual stage of malaria parasites. Male gametocytes (microgametocytes) and female gametocytes (macrogametocytes) are inside red blood cells in the circulation. If they are ingested by a female Anopheles mosquito, begin to sexually reproduce, which starts the extrinsic (sporogonic) cycle of the parasite in the mosquito. Gametocytes of Plasmodium falciparum are typically crescent or sickle-shaped (from the latin: falcis=sickle).
Gene
The segment of DNA on a chromosome that contains the information necessary to make a protein. Genes are the unit by which biological traits are inherited. [JIC]
Genetic diversity
The variety of different types of genes in a species or population.
