Definition: polymorphism
- The word polymorphism technically means ‘presence of many forms’
- In genetic terms, it refers to the coexistence of two or more alternative phenotypes in a population or among populations. In general, these diverse phenotypes are caused by alternative alleles of one gene/locus
- At the molecular level, polymorphism refers to the coexistence of alternative banding patterns or DNA variants when revealed by a given detection method, such as that shown on the gel diagram in the previous slide