Final answer:
The statement identifying a short sequence of 1-4 base pairs in the genome as simple sequence repeats (SSRs) or microsatellite polymorphisms is true. SSRs are used as molecular markers in genetic studies, DNA fingerprinting, and linkage analysis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question refers to a short, highly polymorphic DNA sequence of 1-4 base pairs widely distributed in the genome used as molecular markers, also known as simple sequence repeats (SSRs) or microsatellite polymorphisms. This statement is true. These sequences are valuable in genetic mapping and vary between individuals in the sequence and number of microsatellite DNA repeats. SSRs serve as core components in various methods such as DNA fingerprinting and are essential in understanding genetic diversity and linkage analysis. They are different from variable number of tandem repeats (VNTRs), which are longer sequences of nucleotide repeats, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which are variations in a single nucleotide amongst individuals.