No abstract

Microsatellites are a ubiquitous component of the genome of higher organisms. Their high mutation rate provides the basis for the successful use of microsatellites as genetic markers. Exceptionally long microsatellites have been found to be associated with certain human genetic diseases.

The functional interpretation of naturally occurring polymorphisms has been of long‐standing interest for population genetics, but with the availability of completely sequenced genomes, it has developed into one of the major goals of the postgenomic area.