gce winter 2010 - question paper - KCSE Online

10
Examiner
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5. There are four parasitic species which can cause malaria in human beings.
Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale cause tertian fever, characterised by a sharp rise in
temperature on alternative days. Plasmodium malariae causes a temperature rise every three
days and Plasmodium falciparum produces irregular fevers, often on a daily basis.
The chart below shows the temperature fluctuation in a malaria patient.
41
40
Fever
Fever
39
Temperature/°C
38
37
36
24 48 72 96 120
Time in hours
(a)
Name two species of Plasmodium which are unlikely to be responsible for the illness in
this patient. [2]
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(b) Explain the cause of the peaks on the graph. [2]
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(314-01)