Polymorphism Terms Links

Southern blotting can be used to follow the inheritance of selected genes. Mutations within restriction sites change the sizes of restriction Ifagments and hence the positions of bands in Southern-blot analyses. The existence of genetic diversity in a population is termed polymorphism. The detected mutation may itself cause disease or it may be closely linked to one that does. Genetic diseases such as sickle-cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, and Huntington chorea can be detected by RFLP analyses. 

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