What is Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)?

A single nucleotide polymorphism, or SNP for short, is like a tiny change in the instruction book that makes you who you are.

Imagine your body has a super long recipe book, this is your DNA. Every letter in that recipe is called a nucleotide. A polymorphism means there’s more than one version of that letter in the population. So, an SNP is just one letter in the recipe that can be different from person to person.

Think of it like this: you and your friend are both baking cookies, but you each have a slightly different spelling of the word "cookie" in your recipe book. One says c-o-o-k-i-e, and the other says c-o-k-i-e. That tiny difference is an SNP, it’s not enough to change the whole recipe, but it can make the cookie just a little bit different.

These small changes can affect how your body works. Sometimes they help you be better at something, like running fast or tasting flavors more clearly. Other times, they might even influence if you get a certain kind of illness. But most of the time, it’s just a fun little difference that makes each person unique.