Concepts could include symbiotic relationships, meiosis, and life cycle patterns of sporozoans. To observe Plasmodium a series of prepared slides must be used which isolates a student from the biological system. Monocystis , a gregarine protozoan, which in in the same class as Plasmodium lives in the seminal vesicles of most earthworms.
Students can prepare a simple smear from seminal vesicle tissue and stain it.
All the developmental phases of gametogony and sporogony in Monocystis can usually be identified from one smear. Monocystis has a less complex life cycle using one host and does not exhibit the asexual life cycle that pathogenic apicomplexans such as Plasmodium have. Students can use what they observe to focus on the objectives for the lab without having to master complicated procedures. There are several units into which this lab exercise could be incorporated during the year. This lab does not have to be the focus for an entire class period but can be used as enrichment.