Contents:
- Medical Video: 5 Truths About DNA Tests (23andMe, Ancestry DNA, Family Tree DNA, MyHeritage DNA, LivingDNA)
- How do DNA tests work to uncover the origin of the offspring?
- What body parts can be used for DNA testing?
- Can the fetus in the womb be tested for DNA?
Medical Video: 5 Truths About DNA Tests (23andMe, Ancestry DNA, Family Tree DNA, MyHeritage DNA, LivingDNA)
DNA testing is a procedure used to find out a person's genetic information. With a DNA test, a person can know the lineage and also the risk of certain diseases. DNA is deoxyribonucleic acid or deoxyribonucleic acid. DNA will form genetic material contained in the body of each person inherited from both parents.
How do DNA tests work to uncover the origin of the offspring?
DNA is a nucleic acid that stores all information about genetics. DNA is what determines the type of hair, skin color, and special characteristics of humans. The method used in DNA testing is to identify fragments from DNA itself. Or, simply, DNA testing is a method for identifying, collecting, and inventorying typical characters' body files.
Inside the cell nucleus, DNA forms a unity of strands called chromosomes. Every normal human cell has 46 chromosomes consisting of 22 somatic chromosome pairs and 1 sex chromosome pair (XX or XY).
Each child will receive half a pair of chromosomes from the father and half the other pairs of chromosomes from the mother, so that each individual carries traits derived from both mother and father.
Everyone has DNA that is shaped double helix or double chain, one chain is lowered from the mother and one chain is lowered from the father. This is what can reveal the origin of the offspring. This can be seen from the composition of the child's DNA, then compared to the parents. If the composition of the mother and father's DNA is in the child, it means that the child is a biological child.
What body parts can be used for DNA testing?
Almost all parts of the body can be used for DNA test samples, but what is often used is blood, hair, saliva and nails. The DNA sample used can be from the cell nucleus or the mitochondrion. But the most accurate is the cell nucleus because the cell nucleus cannot change. Blood samples are the most commonly used samples. But what is taken is not red blood cells but white blood cells, because red blood cells do not have a cell nucleus.
Can the fetus in the womb be tested for DNA?
The answer is possible, but full of risks. For the fetus in the womb, DNA testing is done by taking amniotic fluid or amniotic fluid through an amniocentesis procedure or with chorionic villus sampling who take samples of placental tissue. However, both types of tests on the fetus have the risk of making the mother experience a miscarriage. Discuss with the doctor about these risks further if you are asked to take the test.
After obtaining the required sample, it is then sent to the laboratory to follow up the test. It may take several weeks to get results from a DNA test. If you are advised or intend to do a DNA test, consult your doctor or genetic specialist first. Talk about the benefits, risks, and what the test means to yourself and your family.
