polymorphism

American  

[pol-ee-mawr-fiz-uhm] / ˌpɒl iˈmɔr fɪz əm /

noun

1. the state or condition of being polymorphous.

2. Crystallography. crystallization into two or more chemically identical but crystallographically distinct forms.

3. Biology. the existence of an organism in several form or color varieties as a result of discontinuous variation.

4. Genetics. the presence of two or more distinct phenotypes in a population due to the expression of different alleles of a given gene, as human blood groups O, A, B, and AB.

---

polymorphism British  

/ ˌpɒlɪˈmɔːfɪzəm /

noun

1. biology

   1. the occurrence of more than one form of individual in a single species within an interbreeding population

   2. the occurrence of more than one form in the individual polyps of a coelenterate colony

2. the existence or formation of different types of crystal of the same chemical compound

---

polymorphism Scientific  

/ pŏl′ē-môr′fĭz′əm /

1. The occurrence of more than one form, as several alleles of a particular gene or winged and wingless forms of the same species. In bees, the presence of queen, worker, and drone is an example of polymorphism. Differences between the sexes and between breeds of domesticated animals are not considered examples of polymorphism.

2. The crystallization of a compound in at least two distinct forms. Diamond and graphite, for example, are polymorphs of the element carbon. They both consist entirely of carbon but have different crystal structures and different physical properties.

---

Other Word Forms

• polymorphistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of polymorphism

First recorded in 1830–40; polymorph + -ism

Example Sentences

It also highlights that in the case of materials that are prone to supramolecular polymorphism, such as the toroid and random coil, it is essential to purify the assemblies before analyzing their photophysical properties.

From Science Daily • Feb. 13, 2024

That third method, used in genealogical testing, is called single nucleotide polymorphism, and it looks at thousands of binding sites in DNA compared to the 25 to 30 sites an STR analyzes.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 11, 2023

If you were to look at sickle cell anemia, a disorder affecting hemoglobin produced in red blood cells, which technique would be the most useful in detecting polymorphism in a sample?

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Some people have a polymorphism that instructs their body to create two of the same enzyme instead of just one.

From Salon • Oct. 10, 2021

The only other case of polymorphism in the genus Papilio, at all equal in interest to those I have now brought forward, occurs in America; and we have, fortunately, accurate information about it.

From Contributions to the Theory of Natural Selection A Series of Essays by Wallace, Alfred Russel