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Glite Dictionary
haemosporidian

haemosporidian

9.9
A very small parasite that lives in the blood cells of animals and can cause disease
  • noun
  • /ˌhiːməˈspɔːrɪdɪən/
  • UK
: haemosporidiano
  • The haemosporidian infected the bird's red blood cells, causing severe illness.

Examples

  • Malaria parasites are classified as haemosporidians due to their complex life cycles involving blood.

  • Researchers studied several haemosporidian species to understand their role in avian disease transmission.

  • The haemosporidian parasite affects the blood cells of birds.

  • Many species of haemosporidians are known to cause diseases in vertebrates.

  • Malaria parasites are classified as haemosporidians because they infect the blood cells of vertebrates.

  • The haemosporidian parasite infected the bird's red blood cells and caused severe illness.

  • Researchers studied several haemosporidian species to investigate their impact on vertebrate health.

Surface Forms

haemosporidian singular
haemosporidians plural

Morphology

haemosporidian = sporidian (semi-transparent) = haemo + sporid + ian

For someone who knows 'sporidian', adding 'haemo-' straightforwardly signals a blood-related subtype.

Etymology

Haemosporidian comes from haemo- meaning 'blood' and sporo- which is the same root as the English word spore, meaning 'tiny seed'. So a haemosporidian is a tiny, spore-like parasite that lives in the blood.