Home Previous TOC Next Bookshelf

13. SNPS Are the Most Common Type of Variation

SNPS Are the Most Common Type of Variation

 

The most common type of genetic variation is called a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP).

A SNP is defined as a single base change in a DNA sequence that occurs in a significant proportion (more than 1 percent) of a large population. The single base is replaced by any of the other three bases. Here is an example: in the DNA sequence TAGC, a SNP occurs when the G base changes to a C, and the sequence becomes TACC.