schizogony

Multiple fission in which the nucleus first divides and then the cell divides into as many parts as there are nuclei; called merogony if daughter cells are merozoites, sporogony if daughter cells are sporozoites, or gametogony if daughter cells are gametes. SYN: agamocytogeny. [schizo- + G. gone, generation]

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schi·zog·o·ny ski-'zäg-ə-nē, skit-'säg- n, pl -nies asexual reproduction by multiple segmentation characteristic of sporozoans (as the malaria parasite)

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n.

a phase of asexual reproduction in the life cycle of a sporozoan (protozoan parasite) that occurs in the liver or red blood cells. The parasite grows and divides many times to form a schizont, which contains many merozoite. The eventual release of merozoites of Plasmodium, the malaria parasite, from the blood cells produces fever in the patient.

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schi·zog·o·ny (skĭ-zogґə-ne) [schizo- + Gr. gonē seed] a form of asexual reproduction characteristic of certain sarcodines and sporozoa in which daughter cells are produced by multiple fission of the nucleus of the parasite (schizont) followed by segmentation of the cytoplasm to form separate masses around each smaller nucleus.