The cell biology of sexual development in Plasmodium

Abstract

SUMMARY: This review examines the sexual development ofPlasmodiumspp. particularly relating the ultrastructural organization of their cells to the limited, though rapidly expanding, body of metabolic and biochemical studies. Thus it is hoped the article may provide a useful background of information for those undertaking studies on the sexual parasites with the objective of developing methods for the immunological and chemo-therapeutic control of malaria transmission. These objectives, however, should not dominate our clear recognition that the three phases of sexual development, gametocytogenesis, gametogenesis and fertilization contain within them examples of control and assembly of organelles without peer amongst eukaryotic cells.