hypnozoite
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From the Greek words hypnos (sleep) and zoon (animal). REFERENCE: Markus MB, 2011, Malaria: Origin of the term "hypnozoite", Journal of the History of Biology 44: 781–786; https://doi.org/10.1007/s10739-010-9239-3
Noun[edit]
hypnozoite (plural hypnozoites)
- A dormant stage in the life cycle of some species of the malaria parasite Plasmodium (mainly) in the liver. It is formed directly (no multiplication takes place) from a sporozoite injected by the mosquito. However, not all of these inoculated sporozoites form hypnozoites. The reason(s) why some do and others don't is unknown.