Haemozoin
Haemozoin is a dark brown pigment found in the blood cells of many parasitic organisms, most notably the malaria parasite Plasmodium. It is formed as a byproduct of the parasite's digestion of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells. When the parasite consumes hemoglobin, it releases heme, a toxic molecule. The parasite then detoxifies heme by polymerizing it into insoluble haemozoin crystals. This process is crucial for the parasite's survival within the host's red blood cells.
The presence of haemozoin within infected red blood cells is a hallmark of malaria infection. Diagnostic methods
The formation of haemozoin is a target for some antimalarial drugs. By inhibiting the parasite's ability to