Allelic Variants

Allelic variants are different versions of the same gene found in people. Think of a gene as a recipe, and allelic variants as different editions of that recipe, which can result in slight differences in traits like eye color or blood type. These variations occur naturally and contribute to the diversity among individuals. Most of the time, these differences do not cause health problems, but sometimes they can influence how someone responds to medications or their risk for certain diseases. Overall, allelic variants are a normal part of genetic diversity within the human population.