What term denotes a type of genetic variation arising from a change in a single nucleotide?

The term that specifically describes a genetic variation caused by a change in a single nucleotide is single-nucleotide polymorphism (often abbreviated as SNP). SNPs occur when a single nucleotide (A, T, C, or G) in the DNA sequence is altered, leading to variations that can affect everything from an individual’s susceptibility to disease to their response to medications.

These changes can occur in coding or non-coding regions of the DNA and are the most common type of genetic variation in humans. They can result in silent mutations (where the amino acid sequence remains unchanged), missense mutations (where one amino acid is replaced by another), or nonsense mutations (which introduce a premature stop codon). This terminology is crucial in genetics and genomics because it provides insight into individual genetic diversity and can have implications for health and disease.

While point mutation also describes a change in a single nucleotide, it is a broader term that encompasses all types of changes to a single nucleotide that could occur, whether they are polymorphic or not. Gene mutation refers to changes in the nucleotide sequence of a gene as a whole, which can be larger than just a single nucleotide change. Chromosomal aberration refers to abnormalities in chromosome structure or number, which is distinct from the specificity of