Haematozoal

/ˌhiːmətəˈzoʊəl/ adjective

Definition

Relating to or caused by blood parasites or organisms that live in the blood.

Etymology

From Greek haima (blood) + zōon (animal/organism) + -al (relating to). The term emerged in 19th-century parasitology to describe diseases caused by microscopic organisms living in blood.

Kelly Says

Malaria parasites are haematozoal organisms—they actually spend part of their life cycle in mosquitoes and part in human blood, which is why understanding these creatures was crucial to fighting one of history's deadliest diseases.

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