Asexual and sexual phases of life cycle of Plasmodium that causes malaria in humans.

Plasmodium requires two hosts to complete its life cycle.

ii. When female Anopheles mosquito bites a healthy human being, it releases Plasmodium, which lives in its body as sporozoite (infectious form).

iii. The parasites multiply (asexual reproduction) in the liver cells and finally burst the liver cells. Sporozoites are released in blood.

iv. Parasites enter RBCs and further multiply (asexual reproduction) here and finally burst RBCs also.

v. Bursting of RBCs is accompanied by release of a toxic substance called haemozoin (associated with fever and chills).

vi. In the RBCs, only sporozoites change into gametocytes (sexual stage). Gametocytes multiply.

vii When the diseased person is bitten by a female Anopheles mosquito, gametocytes are introduced into the mosquito. 

vii Gametocytes fertilise and develop inside the intestine of mosquito to form sporozoites.

ix. Sporozoites are stored in the salivary glands of mosquito and are released into the healthy person who is bitten by this mosquito.