DNA Testing
Posted on August 26, 2008
Filed Under Genealogy |
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In forensic science, DNA fingerprinting is used widely. It is used to find the match of the suspect of a crime using the sample of semen, saliva, blood, hair etc. There are different methods to do DNA fingerprinting. These methods are amplified fragment length polymorphism (AmpFLP), short tandem repeats (STR), polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and RFLP analysis. DNA fingerprinting also helps to understand the pattern of human beings from the pre historic times.
One of the most well-known DNA tests is a paternity test. Paternity DNA testing is used to establish if a man is the biological father of a child. This test is most often performed when a man denies paternity. Sometime he truly believes that he is not the father of the child, and other times he just does not want to be financially responsible for the child.
A variety of DNA testing protocols are used worldwide. They analyze a small portion of DNA that varies from person to person. Tests are conducted using molecular methods such as a polymerase chain reaction or with DNA arrays and DNA chips.
A mitochondria DNA test is used to trace the maternal history of a person. Mitochondrial DNA passes from the mother to her children (both male and female) without any change. By examining the similarities of this primitive DNA between two people, the tester can determine if they are related along maternal family lines. Because the DNA does not change when it is passed on from mother to child, testing can take place even if a generation is not available to participate in the testing.
Even though DNA testing requires a lab, somewhat sterile conditions and expensive equipment, it is available to everyone through a DNA testing kit. You can buy the kit online or at the local drugstore. Swab the cheeks of the people being tested and mail the kit in to the lab. The results are mailed to you in just a few weeks. However, if you need to prove a DNA relationship for a legal purpose such as establishing paternity) you will be to be tested in person by laboratory employees who observe a legal chain of custody with the samples and results.
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