trophozoite [Neurosurgery Wiki]

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A trophozoite is a single-celled, actively feeding and growing stage in the life cycle of some protozoa, such as amoebas and malaria parasites. Trophozoites are typically found in the tissues or fluids of the host organism, where they feed on nutrients and reproduce asexually by dividing into two daughter cells.

In medical contexts, the term "trophozoite" is often used to describe the stage of a protozoan infection where the parasite is actively growing and causing symptoms in the host. For example, in malaria, the trophozoite stage is characterized by the multiplication of the parasite within red blood cells, leading to fever and other symptoms. In some cases, trophozoites can also form cysts, which are a dormant stage that can survive outside of the host organism for a period of time, until conditions become favorable for reactivation.