Final answer:
An apicoplast is a chloroplast-derived organelle in Apicomplexa parasites, crucial for their survival and infectiousness, making it a key target for anti-malarial drug development.
Step-by-step explanation:
An apicoplast is a derived form of a chloroplast found in the phylum Apicomplexa, which includes malaria-causing parasites. The significance of the apicoplast in medical research stems from its role in the survival and infectious capabilities of these parasites. The apicoplast genome is similar to those of dinoflagellate chloroplasts and is involved in crucial metabolic pathways, making it an attractive target for the development of new anti-malarial drugs. The medical importance of apicoplasts also relates to the broader field of protistology, where the study of protists can lead to the discovery of new medicines and enhance our understanding of basic biological processes that are relevant to human health.