Malaria vector identification

Steps:

• Malaria is caused by the Plasmodium parasite, a protozoan.
• The parasite is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito.
• Classify the mosquito: it belongs to the arthropod phylum, specifically insects in the order Diptera.
• Confirm: insects serve as biological vectors for Plasmodium, not other organism types.

Why C is correct:

• By definition, a vector is a living organism that transmits a pathogen; the Anopheles mosquito is an insect that harbors and spreads the Plasmodium parasite during blood meals.

Why the others are wrong:

• A: Bacteria are prokaryotic microbes that cause bacterial infections like cholera, not acting as vectors for parasitic diseases.
• B: Fungi are eukaryotic decomposers or pathogens like ringworm causes, but do not transmit malaria parasites.
• D: Viruses are acellular infectious agents that replicate inside host cells, unable to serve as vectors for larger parasites like Plasmodium.

Final answer: C