A Gene Pool Holds Every Allele in a Population
- A gene pool is the sum of all alleles present in every member of a population.
- Each individual carries only two alleles per gene, but the population as a whole can hold many different alleles, which are the different versions of that gene.
SNPs Are Single-Base Differences That Create New Alleles
- A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is a position in the genome where a single base pair differs between individuals in a population.
- A SNP can change the amino acid a codon specifies, which produces a new allele of the gene.
- Millions of SNPs are scattered across the human genome, and together they make each person genetically unique.
Tip
- SNPs are used in genetic studies to track inheritance patterns.
- They also help identify genes linked to specific diseases.
