Balanced Polymorphism

Balanced polymorphism (having many forms) is the maintenance of two or more forms of a trait in fairly steady proportions over time. This occurs when nonidentical alleles are maintained at frequencies greater than one percent.

Sickle-cell anemia (normal blood cells on left, sickle-cells on right) is an example. In parts of Africa, heterozygotes, HbS/HbA, comprise about one third of the population. It is now known that heterozygous individuals are more resistant to the protozoan that causes malaria. They survive in greater numbers than the homozygotes.

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