1. The condition that exists when foreign grafts or blood transfusions evoke a marked immune response and are rejected.
2. The phenomenon in which pollen from one flower fails to fertilize other flowers on the same plant (self-incompatibility) or on other genetically similar plants. This genetically determined mechanism prevents self-fertilization (breeding between likes) and promotes cross-fertilization (breeding between individuals with different genetic compositions). The mechanism is based on chemical interactions between male pollen and female pistil tissues, governed by numerous alleles at the incompatibility S locus. This form of genetic polymorphism is maintained by balancing selection. See also fertilization; pollination.