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POLYMORPHISM
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I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
(biology) the existence of two or more forms of individuals within the same animal species (independent of sex differences)
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural phenomena
Hypernyms ("polymorphism" is a kind of...):
organic phenomenon ((biology) a natural phenomenon involving living plants and animals)
Domain category:
biological science; biology (the science that studies living organisms)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "polymorphism"):
dimorphism ((biology) the existence of two forms of individual within the same animal species (independent of sex differences))
Derivation:
polymorphic; polymorphous (relating to the occurrence of more than one kind of individual (independent of sexual differences) in an interbreeding population)
Sense 2
Meaning:
(chemistry) the existence of different kinds of crystal of the same chemical compound
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural phenomena
Hypernyms ("polymorphism" is a kind of...):
chemical phenomenon (any natural phenomenon involving chemistry (as changes to atoms or molecules))
Domain category:
chemical science; chemistry (the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "polymorphism"):
dimorphism ((chemistry) the property of certain substances that enables them to exist in two distinct crystalline forms)
Derivation:
polymorphic; polymorphous (relating to the crystallization of a compound in two or more different forms)
Sense 3
Meaning:
(genetics) the genetic variation within a population that natural selection can operate on
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural phenomena
Hypernyms ("polymorphism" is a kind of...):
organic phenomenon ((biology) a natural phenomenon involving living plants and animals)
Domain category:
genetic science; genetics (the branch of biology that studies heredity and variation in organisms)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "polymorphism"):
single nucleotide polymorphism; SNP ((genetics) genetic variation in a DNA sequence that occurs when a single nucleotide in a genome is altered; SNPs are usually considered to be point mutations that have been evolutionarily successful enough to recur in a significant proportion of the population of a species)
Context examples:
Polymorphisms can have a harmful effect, a good effect, or no effect.
(Genetic Polymorphism, NCI Dictionary)
There is an association between a polymorphism in position 1437 and prostate cancer.
(Collagen XVIII (Alpha 1), NCI Thesaurus)
Inherited PLA2G4C polymorphisms are associated with susceptibility to schizophrenia.
(PLA2G4C wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)
It is characterized by the presence of poorly differentiated astrocytes, cellular polymorphism, nuclear atypia, and increased mitotic activity.
(Brain Glioblastoma, NCI Thesaurus)
In this study, 74 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified.
(Researchers identify genetic links to educational attainment, NIH)
Genetic polymorphism may be associated with breast cancer.
(ATP2C2 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)
An aa149 polymorphism is associated with higher risk of coronary artery disease and ELAM1 is a diagnostic indicator of glaucoma.
(E-Selectin, NCI Thesaurus)
A heritable single nucleotide polymorphism located at the acceptor splice site in certain allelic variants of eukaryotic genes.
(Acceptor Splice Site SNP, NCI Thesaurus)
Polymorphisms in the gene are the basis for the Duffy blood group types.
(DARC wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)
Select polymorphisms of the gene have been shown to affect resting heart rate function and if dysregulated, can be involved in heart failure.
(ADRB1 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)
