Polymorphism refers to

Polymorphism refers to

• A. Differences in humans, such as eye or hair color, that had been the result of a gene mutation but are now part of the variation of the species.
• B. A mutation that always causes disease.
• C. A process that copies DNA to RNA.
• D. The identical copy of a gene on homologous chromosome.

Answer: (B)

Polymorphism means there are two or more versions of a gene present in a population at noticeable frequencies, leading to variation in a trait among individuals. This genetic diversity is maintained by evolutionary forces and can result in different, often neutral or beneficial, phenotypes rather than being tied to disease. The idea isn’t about a mutation that always causes illness; many polymorphisms have no harmful effect or can even help in certain environments. It also isn’t about transcription (copying DNA to RNA) or about an identical gene copy on homologous chromosomes—those describe other genetic processes or states, not the variation across a population that polymorphism captures.

Polymorphism means there are two or more versions of a gene present in a population at noticeable frequencies, leading to variation in a trait among individuals. This genetic diversity is maintained by evolutionary forces and can result in different, often neutral or beneficial, phenotypes rather than being tied to disease. The idea isn’t about a mutation that always causes illness; many polymorphisms have no harmful effect or can even help in certain environments. It also isn’t about transcription (copying DNA to RNA) or about an identical gene copy on homologous chromosomes—those describe other genetic processes or states, not the variation across a population that polymorphism captures.