Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Popular Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

polymorphistic

 - 4 dictionary results

pol⋅y⋅mor⋅phism

  [pol-ee-mawr-fiz-uhm]
Use polymorphistic in a Sentence
–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.
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.
Origin:
1830–40; polymorph + -ism

Related forms:
pol⋅y⋅mor⋅phis⋅tic, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To polymorphistic
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: poly·mor·phism
Pronunciation: "päl-i-'mor-"fiz-&m
Function: noun
: the quality or state of existing in or assumingdifferent forms: as a (1) : existence of a species in several forms independent of the variations of sex (2) : existence of a gene in several allelic forms (3) : existence of a molecule (as an enzyme) in several forms in a single species b : the property of crystallizing in two or more forms with distinct structure
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

polymorphism pol·y·mor·phism (pŏl'ē-môr'fĭz'əm)
n.

  1. The occurrence of different forms, stages, or types in individual organisms or in organisms of the same species, independent of sexual variations.

  2. Crystallization of a compound in at least two distinct forms. Also called pleomorphism.

pol'y·mor'phic or pol'y·mor'phous adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Science Dictionary
polymorphism   (pŏl'ē-môr'fĭz'əm)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. The existence of two or more different forms in an adult organism of the same species, as of an insect. 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.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see polymorphistic on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way