Final answer:
Sequence-Tagged Sites (STSs) are known DNA sequences used as landmarks in genetic mapping, with ESTs and SSLPs being common examples. Advances in DNA sequencing have enhanced the creation of detailed physical maps, instrumental for genomic studies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Short segments of DNA whose sequence and location are known, enabling them to serve as useful landmarks for mapping purposes, are referred to as Sequence-Tagged Sites (STSs). Among common types of STSs are Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) and Single Sequence Length Polymorphisms (SSLPs). ESTs are short STSs that we can identify using cDNA libraries, while SSLPs are derived from known genetic markers and provide a linkage between genetic maps and physical maps.
Physical mapping benefits from the advancement of DNA sequencing technology. By creating genomic libraries and cDNA libraries, and utilizing sequence mapping, scientists can create detailed physical maps with distances measured in base pairs. These maps and their markers like ESTs, SSLPs, and SNPs are vital in understanding an organism's genome, further advancing the field of genomics.