As the sequencing of the Plasmodium falciparum genome nears completion, two major challenges are becoming urgent: to interpret the plethora of data interms of parasite biology, and to use this information effectively in the control of malaria. There have beenmany studies of malaria parasites of nonhuman host pecies1–3, but relatively few papers on P. falciparum morphology since the first definitive ultrastructural description of the parasite in culture by Langreth et al.in 1978 (Ref. 4). We are in the curious position of know-ing much about the molecular biology of P. falciparum while its structure remains only sketchily understood,making accurate immunolocalization of antigen sincreasingly problematical.
Three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction from serialelectron microscopic sections allows detailed analysisof cell structure, and has been used to study the mito-chondrion5, chromosome number6and feeding appa-ratus7of P. falciparum. This approach provides highspatial resolution not available by other means. Effortshave been made to image whole parasitized red bloodcells (RBC) by X-ray microscopy8, but the resolvingpower of this method is as yet considerably inferior tothat of electron microscopy (EM). Using serial section-ing, we have also reconstructed the plastid (api-coplast)9and the merozoite rhoptry–Golgi complex inthis species10. The illustrations in this Reviewoutlinethe major features of each stage; it should be borne in mind that development is a continuous dynamicprocess taking 48 h to complete, with many intermedi-ate stages and complexities that are not shown here.