Online Dna Test Info



             


Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Genealogical DNA Test

Genealogical DNA test is performed on a person’s DNA for genetic genealogy purposes. The Genealogical Tests can determine if two people are related by testing the samples of living individuals. After being popularized by high-profile criminal cases and paternity disputes, DNA tests are today used most commonly to prove a relationship with a person. More tests have made it possible to determine ancestry as DNA is passed down from parents to children can create an unbreakable link between generations. This testing can establish genetic history or roots of an individual.

Uses of DNA Test

This test can determine whether two people are related; it can determine if two individuals have the same ancestor; it also can find out if you are related to other with the same surname as yours; it can help to establish the family tree or disprove it. The tests can provide clues to your ethnic origins.

Test procedure

A genealogical DNA test involves a simple and painless procedure of taking a cheek scrapping or buccal swab. The sample is collected from the home of the tested person and mailed to the lab that performs the test. Some labs use mouth wash or chewing gum as samples and some labs offer to store the samples for future testing.

There are two basic types of genealogical DNA testing namely mtDNA tests and Y-Line tests.

mtDNA tests

Mitochondrial DNA also known as mtDNA is present in the cytoplasm of the cell. This DNA is passed from the mother to all her children. This mtDNA is same as your mother and her mother and so on. If two people have the same mtDNA it means that the two have the same maternal ancestry.

Y Line tests

In the recent times the Y chromosome in the nucleus of DNA is used to prove family ties. Only available to makes, Y line DNA tests are used by those who share the same surname to know if they share a common ancestor. Y chromosomes are passed from father to son, creating a distinctive pattern that distinguishes the lineage of one male from the other.

The popularity of DNA tests in high profile cases has resulted in it being most commonly used for various purposes. The genealogical DNA tests are useful in establishing the relationship of two living individuals and to know if they share the same ancestor.

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