Ring forms
The earliest stage following red cell invasion has a typical ting form:
a = chromatin dot
b = digestive vacuole
c = parasite cytoplasm
Description
At the earliest stage of red cell infection parasites of all species have the form of a "ring". Distinction between species at this stage may not be easy (or even possible). However as the parasites mature and develop differences between species become more apparent. In some species the ring appearance is maintained until late stages of maturation, in others it is lost progressively as they mature.
The different appearances of rings (or indeed their loss) can be very useful in identifying the different malaria species. For details see individual species descriptions or galleries.
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