polymorphism, in biology, a discontinuous genetic variation resulting in the occurrence of several different forms or types of individuals among the members of a single species. A discontinuous genetic variation divides the individuals of a population into two or more sharply distinct forms.

DNA polymorphism forms the basis of 1. Translation 2. Genetic mapping 3. DNA finger printing 4.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms, frequently called SNPs (pronounced “snips”), are the most common type of genetic variation among people. Each SNP represents a difference in a single DNA building block, called a nucleotide. For example, a SNP may replace the nucleotide cytosine (C) with the nucleotide thymine (T) in a certain stretch of DNA.

PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP)-based analysis, also known as cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS), is a popular technique for genetic analysis. It has been applied for the detection of intraspecies as well as interspecies variation.