polymorphism etymology

Etymology

The word "polymorphism" is derived from two Greek words:

• poly (πολύς) meaning "many" or "multiple"
• morph (μορφή) meaning "form" or "shape"

Meaning

Polymorphism is a term used in science to describe the ability of a substance or entity to exist in multiple different forms. It can refer to:

In Chemistry:

• The ability of a compound to crystallize in different forms with different physical properties (e.g., diamond and graphite are polymorphic forms of carbon).
• The ability of a molecule to adopt different shapes or conformations.

In Biology:

• The ability of a species to exhibit different forms or phenotypes (e.g., polymorphism in genetic traits within a population).
• The ability of a gene to code for multiple different proteins or enzymes.

In Computer Science:

• The ability of an object or variable to take on different types or values (e.g., a variable that can be a string, number, or Boolean).
• The ability of an object to behave differently depending on its type (e.g., in object-oriented programming).

Origin

The term "polymorphism" was first used in the early 19th century by the German chemist Friedrich Wöhler to describe the different crystalline forms of carbon. The term was later adopted by biologists to describe the variation in form within species. In the 20th century, the term was also used in computer science to describe the concept of objects with multiple types or behaviors.

polymorphism relate terms

• polymorph

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