The term “hypnozoite” is derived from the Greek words hypnos and zoon. Hypnozoites are dormant forms in the life cycles of certain parasitic protozoa that belong to the Phylum Apicomplexa and are best known for their probable association with latency and relapse in human malarial infections caused by Plasmodium ovale and P. vivax. Consequently, the hypnozoite is of great biological and medical significance. This, in turn, makes the origin of the name “hypnozoite” a subject of interest. Some “missing” history (...) that is now placed on record shows that Miles B. Markus coined the term “hypnozoite”. While a PhD student at Imperial College London, he carried out research that led to the identification of an apparently dormant form of Cystoisospora. In 1976, he speculated: “If sporozoites of Isospora can behave in this fashion, then those of related Sporozoa, like malaria parasites, may have the ability to survive in the tissues in a similar way.” He adopted the term “hypnozoite” for malaria in 1978 when he wrote in a little-known journal that this name would “… describe any dormant sporozoites or dormant, sporozoite-like stages in the life cycles of Plasmodium or other Haemosporina.” At that time, the existence of a hypnozoite form in the life cycle of Plasmodium was still a hypothetical notion. In 1980, however, Wojciech A. Krotoski published details concerning his actual discovery of malarial hypnozoites, an event of considerable importance. (shrink)

The term "hypnozoite" is derived from the Greek words hypnos (sleep) and zoon (animal). Hypnozoites are dormant forms in the life cycles of certain parasitic protozoa that belong to the Phylum Apicomplexa (Sporozoa) and are best known for their probable association with latency and relapse in human malarial infections caused by Plasmodium ovale and P. vivax. Consequently, the hypnozoite is of great biological and medical significance. This, in turn, makes the origin of the name "hypnozoite" a subject of interest. (...) Some "missing" history that is now placed on record (including a letter written by P. C. C. Garnham, FRS) shows that Miles B. Markus coined the term "hypnozoite". While a PhD student at Imperial College London, he carried out research that led to the identification of an apparently dormant form of Cystoisospora (synonym: Isospora). In 1976, he speculated: "If sporozoites of Isospora can behave in this fashion, then those of related Sporozoa, like malaria parasites, may have the ability to survive in the tissues in a similar way." He adopted the term "hypnozoite" for malaria in 1978 when he wrote in a little-known journal that this name would "... describe any dormant sporozoites or dormant, sporozoite-like stages in the life cycles of Plasmodium or other Haemosporina." At that time, the existence of a hypnozoite form in the life cycle of Plasmodium was still a hypothetical notion. In 1980, however, Wojciech A. Krotoski published (together with several co-workers) details concerning his actual discovery of malarial hypnozoites, an event of considerable importance. (shrink)

Mitochondrial genomes represent relict bacterial genomes derived from a progenitor α‐proteobacterium that gave rise to all mitochondria through an ancient endosymbiosis. Evolution has massively reduced these genomes, yet despite relative simplicity their organization and expression has developed considerable novelty throughout eukaryotic evolution. Few organisms have reengineered their mitochondrial genomes as thoroughly as the protist lineage of dinoflagellates. Recent work reveals dinoflagellate mitochondrial genomes as likely the most gene‐impoverished of any free‐living eukaryote, encoding only two to three proteins. The organization and (...) expression of these genomes, however, is far from the simplicity their gene content would suggest. Gene duplication, fragmentation, and scrambling have resulted in an inflated and complex genome organization. Extensive RNA editing then recodes gene transcripts, and trans‐splicing is required to assemble full‐length transcripts for at least one fragmented gene. Even after these processes, messenger RNAs (mRNAs) lack canonical start codons and most transcripts have abandoned stop codons altogether. (shrink)