English: :The Complement System: A Prey of Trypanosoma cruzi FIGURE 1. Life cycle of Trypanosoma cruzi. Transmission is initiated by insect vectors that defecate after a blood meal and release metacyclic trypomastigotes near the bite wound. This infective stage is characterized by the invasion of host cells by trypomastigotes forming the parasitophorous vacuole, from which they subsequently escape, differentiate into amastigotes, and replicate in the cytosol. The amastigotes then divide, differentiate into trypomastigotes, and upon rupture of the cell spread the infection to tissues. Trypomastigotes reach the bloodstream, where they are eventually taken up by the insect vector or infect new cells. In the triatomine bugs, trypomastigotes differentiate into spheromastigotes becoming initially short epimastigotes (mid-log). After migration to the bug’s hindgut, elongate epimastigotes (late-log) attach to the waxy gut cuticle and give rise to infectious metacyclic trypomastigotes, completing the parasite life cycle.