sporozoite

 
Pronunciation: /ˌspɒrə(ʊ)ˈzəʊʌɪt, ˌspɔː-/

noun

Zoology & Medicine
  • a motile spore-like stage in the life cycle of some parasitic sporozoans (e.g. the malaria organism), which is typically the infective agent introduced into a host.

Origin:

late 19th century: from sporo- 'relating to spores' + Greek zoion 'animal' + -ite1