Family Tree - The Uses of Genetic DNA Testing

Genetic testing or DNA testing is a relatively recent development due to advances in scientific knowledge that has many and varied uses including paternity testing, testing for various genetic diseases during pregnancy, or for forensic investigations. In this article we are going to be discussing some of the uses of genetic testing and how they work. The first use of genetic testing is called paternity testing and is used to verify who the biological father of a child is. When there is a doubt about who the biological father of a child is this can hold not only implications for the relationship both between the parents and between the father and child; but also legal and financial implications (for example, who is responsible for meeting the child's financial needs as they grow up). Genetic testing in this instance can be done through collecting a sample of the father's, mother's and child's DNA which are then compared at various points. This method of verifying paternity is a lot more accurate than older methods and is also painless as a DNA sample can be collected from a swab of the cheek. Another use of genetic testing is to help create your family tree and verify family history. In this case parts of the Y chromosome that don't tend to change down through the generations will be compared to others. People who have a common ancestor will show similar characteristics in certain places of this specific chromosome and so will help establish ancestral lines. This is also related to genetic testing for ancestry, or what percentage of each race group you have in your DNA. By doing an ancestral genetic test through laboratories that offer this service or home packs to test your ancestry you are able to determine your race history. There is a story, for example, of a man who thought he was African American most of his life, only to discover that he had no African American blood in him but a mixture of other race groups including Indo-European and Native American. Prenatal genetic testing may also be used to discover a number of diseases or health problems before a child is born. Many diseases may be related to an abnormality in the DNA which can be discovered through DNA testing in order to warn the parents of this possibility so that they can do what is best for their child. There are a number of uses for genetic testing and the above are just a couple of uses for personal genetic testing including paternity testing, genetic genealogy, ancestry testing and testing for possible health problems in an unborn child. Genetic testing is generally non-invasive and painless as DNA swabs can be taken from the cheek for comparison instead of having to take blood. These DNA swabs are then analyzed in a laboratory to compare different DNA segments and so determine the results of the above tests. Learn more about dna genealogy testing on our site. You'll also find other information such as finding DNA test labs and DNA paternity test. FirstHearingAids.com is a comprehensive resource for people suffering from hearing loss to get information on hearing aid options, prices and maintenance. Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rich_Fuller