merozoite /mer′əzō″īt/ [Gk, meros + zoon, animal] , an organism produced from segmentation of a schizont during the asexual reproductive phase of the life cycle of a sporozoon, specifically the malarial parasite Plasmodium. Merozoites can either continue the asexual phase of the life cycle by developing into trophozoites and repeating the process of schizogony or differentiate into male and female gametes and enter the sexual stage. See also Plasmodium.
