Final answer:
The malaria parasite, Plasmodium, changes the red blood cells of its host to obtain nutrients and avoid destruction.
Step-by-step explanation:
The malaria parasite, Plasmodium, changes the red blood cells of its host in order to obtain nutrients and avoid destruction. When the parasite enters the host's blood, it infects the red blood cells and develops into trophozoites. These trophozoites consume nutrients from the host's red blood cells to survive and multiply. As the parasite matures, it bursts out of the red blood cells, destroying them in the process, and releases more merozoites that can infect new red blood cells.