L3: Pathogenesis

Question 1

what effects the likelihood & severity of parasitic diseases

Answer 1

• The status of host defenses
• The number of parasites present
• Parasite pathogenicity

Question 2

what is hemozoin and what produces it

Answer 2

• hemozoin = crystallized dimers of heme that impair phagocytic function
• Plasmodium (malaria) parasites digest hemoglobin and produce hemozoin
• macrophages ingest hemozoin and infected RBCs