Some reflections concerning host erythrocyte-malarial parasite interrelationships

Abstract

During the intraerythrocytic development of the malarial parasite, the host cell's structure and function are altered to such an extent that the infected red blood cell may be regarded as a finely tuned, although imperfect, symbiotic organism. Problems such as the control of the parasite's life and cell cycles, volume regulation of the malaria-infected erythrocyte, the energy metabolism of the malaria-infected red blood cell, and the possible metabolic purpose for parasite oxidative stressing of its host cell, seem worth addressing at the outset.