Polymorphism (Gr. Poly — Many, Morphe — Form)

Polymorphism (from the Greek words "poly" - many and "morphe" - form) is a property of organisms that consists in the presence of different phenotypes in a population of the same species. This means that individuals of the same species may differ from each other in morphological characteristics, such as size, shape, color and other characteristics.

Polymorphism can be caused by genetic mutations, environmental changes, and exposure to various factors such as nutrition and living conditions. It can manifest itself both at the level of individual organisms and at the level of the population as a whole.

There are several types of polymorphism, including genetic, morphological, biological and environmental polymorphism. Genetic polymorphism is associated with the presence of different genes in the genotype of an organism. Morphological polymorphism manifests itself in various shapes and sizes of organs and bodies of organisms. Biological polymorphism is associated with the presence of different biological characteristics such as gender, age and developmental stage. Environmental polymorphism is associated with changes in the phenotype of organisms in response to changing environmental conditions.

Polymorphism is of great importance in biology as it allows organisms to adapt to different environmental conditions. For example, polymorphism can help organisms survive in changing environments, such as changes in climate, nutrition, or competition for resources.

Polymorphism is also an important factor in evolution, as it creates diversity in a population and allows it to adapt to changing environmental conditions. This can lead to the division of the population into separate groups, which can subsequently develop into different species.

Thus, polymorphism is an important property of living organisms, which allows them to adapt to a changing environment and leads to diversity in the population. The study of polymorphism helps biologists understand how organisms adapt to different environmental conditions and how this affects their evolution.