Malaria: Mosquito Host

This animation shows how the malaria parasite reproduces and matures inside a mosquito.

The malaria parasite has evolved to use mosquitoes as a key vector in its life cycle. The animation illustrates the part of the malaria life cycle that occurs inside the mosquito vector. The mosquito becomes infected with malaria when it sucks blood from an infected human. The parasites reproduce in the mosquito’s gut and accumulate in its salivary glands, where they can infect the next human that the mosquito bites.

Depending on students’ background, it may be helpful to pause the animation at various points to discuss different steps in the life cycle of the malaria parasite.