Definition

Noun: A stage in the life cycle of certain parasitic protozoans, particularly those in the phylum Apicomplexa (like the malaria parasite Plasmodium). It is a cell produced by the asexual division (a process called schizogony) of a parent cell within a host. Merozoites are typically infective forms that are released to invade new host cells, such as red blood cells, to continue the cycle of infection.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • After the sporozoite invades the liver cell, it undergoes multiple divisions to produce thousands of merozoites.
  • The rupture of the infected red blood cell releases merozoites into the bloodstream, which then seek out new red blood cells to invade.
  • Scientists are studying proteins on the surface of the merozoite to develop a vaccine against malaria.

Advanced Usage

• "Merozoite surface protein": A key protein located on the outer membrane of the merozoite, often a target for immune responses and vaccine development.
  • The candidate vaccine is designed to elicit antibodies against a critical merozoite surface protein.

Variants and Related Words

• Schizont (noun): The stage of the parasite that undergoes schizogony to produce merozoites.
• Trophozoite (noun): The feeding, growing stage of the parasite that develops after a merozoite invades a host cell and before it becomes a schizont.
• Sporozoite (noun): The infective stage transmitted by a mosquito, which gives rise to the stages that produce merozoites.

Synonyms

• Daughter cell (in the specific context of asexual reproduction in these parasites). Note: This is a broader biological term.

Related Terms (Not Phrasal Verbs or Idioms)

Given the highly specific, scientific nature of the term "merozoite," it is not associated with phrasal verbs or idioms. Its usage is confined to technical descriptions in parasitology and medicine.

Noun

1. a cell that arises from the asexual division of a parent sporozoan during its life cycle