They're not bacteria. The malaria parasite is considered a protist, which is a broad category comprised of organisms whose cells contain a cell nucleus but are

They're not bacteria. The malaria parasite is considered a protist, which is a broad category comprised of organisms whose cells contain a cell nucleus but aren't otherwise classified as plants, animals, or fungi. This group includes some multi-celled and single-celled organisms (that aren't necessarily related beyond the fact that they have a nucleus); the single-celled species in the group distingush themselves from bacteria because bacteria do not have a nucleus, and are generally simpler overall.