Question

How do spore-forming protists such as plasmodium differ from other protists in terms of movement

Answer 1

Protists such as plasmodium actually use a passive form of movement. They form reproductive spores that enter the cells of other organisms and live as parasites. Then, their host cells do all of the actual moving for them. 

Answer 2

Plasmodium is the agent of malaria. It is like a parasite because it lives in its host, in its case the mosquito.

It has three stages of life cycle. 1) gametocytes ; 2) sporozoites ; 3) merozoites

As gametocytes, it lives in the bellies of a female anopheles mosquito. They develop and change into sporozoites. After becoming sporozoites, they migrate to the salivary glands of the mosquito. As the female mosquito feeds, the sporozoites are injected into the host. The sporozoites make their way to the host's liver and change into merozoites and attack the red blood cells of the host. Thus, the beginning of malaria.