Where will you look for the gametes of a malaria parasite ?

Options

A. Red blood corpuscles of humans suffering from malaria
B. Salivary of infected female mosquito
C. Salivary glands of freshly moulted infected female mosquito
D. Gut of infected female mosquito that can act as vector for malaria parasite

Answer

To determine where to look for the gametes of a malaria parasite, we can analyze the options provided:

1. **Red blood corpuscles of humans suffering from malaria**: This option is incorrect. The malaria parasite, specifically the genus Plasmodium, infects red blood cells during its life cycle, but the gametes are not formed in these cells. Instead, the parasite undergoes asexual reproduction in the red blood cells.

2. **Salivary glands of infected female mosquito**: This option is also incorrect. The salivary glands of an infected female mosquito contain sporozoites, which are the infectious form of the parasite that is injected into humans during a mosquito bite. Gametes are not present here.

3. **Salivary glands of freshly moulted infected female mosquito**: This option is incorrect for the same reason as the previous one. The salivary glands of the mosquito contain sporozoites, not gametes.

4. **Gut of the infected female mosquito**: This is the correct option. The gut of the infected female mosquito is where the gametes of the malaria parasite are produced. After the male and female gametes fuse, they form zygotes, which develop into sporozoites that migrate to the salivary glands.

**Final Answer**: The gametes of the malaria parasite can be found in the gut of the infected female mosquito.