Easily remember the life cycle malaria parasite: P.falciparum vs. P vivax

I am writing this blog post to help you remember the most important stage of malarial parasite which differs between two most important species: P. facliparum and P.vivax. I hope after going through this post, you will discover some fascinating things and their arrangements in a word with the help of which you can recall or write the life cycle of both P. faciparum and P.vivax individually or even write the most important differences between their life cycle.
Note:To get the best of this blog post: you must have some idea about general life cycle of malarial parasite and its stages.
Lets begin with this magic word “FALCIPARUM”. For now only focus on this word and the alphabets there

• F: Fatal (Plasmodium falciparum cause most severe (dangerous) or life threatening types of malaria)
  
• A/AL:
• Applique’ or Accole’: These two forms are seen only in falciparum malarial infection. As the parasite attaches itself to the margin or the edge of the host cell, the nucleus and a small part of the cytoplasm remains almost outside giving the characteristics form, “form applique’ or accole’)
• All: Plasmodium falciparum does not show special affinity for any particular type of red blood cell but invades both the reticulocytes and erythrocytes (young and old). As both young and old red cells are infected the percentages of infected cells are more (which aids you in the microscopic diagnosis of malaria and differentiation too)
  (Vs. P. vivax:it is known that P. vivax shows a greater tendency to invade younger red blood cells and reticulocytes than mature RBC so the precent of infected RBC is less, only 1-2% RBC are infected)
• C: “Crescents”: The gametocytes of plasmodium falciparum are sickle-shaped and are called “crescents”. This is one of the most useful diagnostic feature utilized in microscopic differentiation of malarial infections (P. vivax vs. P. falciparum)
• I: Internal organs: Erythrocytic Schizogony of P. falciparum occurs inside the capillaries of the internal organs, hence the only ring-forms (not growing trophozoites and schizonts) are found in the peripheral blood.
  (vs. P vivax: The erythrocytic schizogony of P. vivax is completed mainly in the peripheral circulation)
• RU: RBC Unaltered: In plasmodium falciparum infection the infected red blood cells remain unaltered (In P. vivax infection RBC enlarges and becomes double its original size)
• M: Multiple: Multiple infection of the red blood cells is the feature of plasmodium falciparum infection. i.e. More than one parasite (from 2 to 6) invading a single red blood cell (RBC) is very common with this species.
  (vs. P. vivax: Each RBC is generally invaded by a single parasite)
• M: Maurer’s dot:  In the erythrocytic schizogony of plasmodium falciparum the Schuffner’s dots are absent (S alphabet is absent in the above mentioned word), but in their place 6-12 Maurer’s dots of clefts (staining brick-red with Leishman’s stain) are seen. (Vs. vivax Schuffner’s dots present: The portion of cytoplasm unoccupied by the parasite shows a dotted or stippled appearance, called schuffner’s dots)
• E: The alphabet E is absent in the above mentioned word. So Exo-erythrocytic stage is absent in the life cycle of Plasmodium falciparum. (Caution: do not think otherwise, E is also absent in vivax but P. vivax has exo-erythrocytic stage)

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