How does a DNA test prove a family relationship?

Who didn’t love seeing a breath of air on TV when the lab report came on and revealed a surprise paternity? DNA tests are famous, not so much for technological advancement but for the ability to generate entertainment.

In the academic field, the possibility of observing and comparing genetic data between humans was the great scientific high point of the 1990s, resulting in experiments such as the famous cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1996.

There are records first DNA test may have occurred in England in 1986as a technique for solving a crime. But at this time, the test was not yet so ambitious, moreover, the human genome was only completely sequenced in 2003, showing that all humans share 99.9% of the genetic code.

In an equal world, it wouldn’t be hard for this first attempt to show that everyone in the city is responsible for crime. It didn’t, but it could have.

But how can we describe this small variation among all people? Let’s study some more genetics!

Your mother was right, you’re not the same as everyone else

Do you %1 know this? It makes such a difference! Even though our genetic code is 99.99% shared, there will be 300,000 possibilities to combine and analyze, after all, the human genome contains 3 billion pairs of bases! The magic of DNA exams lies in the ability to identify equals and show differences..

Family similarities exist because of the genetic material donated to you by your parents. Each contributed 23 chromosomes, adding to the 46 pairs necessary for their existence. There are those with a larger number, but this is an issue for genetic syndromes.

This “donation” will not always be matched, so Univiteline will be different from your siblings unless you are a twin. Even if they share the same amount of DNA inherited from their parents.

Think of pasta for Altate soup, the entire package representing the genetic combination between your parents. In the first recipe, a scoop may include the alphabet.

The other day, in the second recipe, with the same pasta size, the letters could be CCGA. Every rest of the preparation is the same. This is how babies are made, with nomat for Altate Soup children can confirm with their parents. Once you explain this, let’s go into the fantastic world of DNA testing!

How do DNA tests work?

You DNA testing may have several usesFor example, it can be used to confirm which parts of the genetic sequence have faults or mutations. For diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, they help to understand and highlight the consequences for health according to this variation.

They can also be used for forensic purposes, helping to identify criminals and victims when no documentation is available for accurate identification or when facial recognition is not possible.

But technology has advanced and previously inaccessible and expensive exams, designed only for certain health investigations or the disclosure of crimes, have gained new adherents curious about their lineage.

Some laboratories have begun offering “homemade” DNA tests, which require only one swab and a list of collection instructions. Give me some spit and I tell you who you are and where you come from.

Like this A DNA test is performed, only the small amount of genetic material found in cells mucous membranes, hair bulb, epithelial cells, blood, among other sources. If the cell has a nucleus, it will certainly contain genetic material.

What testing laboratories do is compare the material submitted by you with records in genetic databases, looking for equal or very similar traits that indicate certain traits. The technique used confirms microarrays in DNA globally and highlights these variations.

For example, let’s say that some people in Europe have a unique combination of genes that contributes to greater resistance to colds. Even if generations pass and their ancestors migrate to the tropics, this trait will never be erased from the genetic code.

When researchers make this comparison, they can explain that someone in their past lived in X region of the world. If the stroke is strong, a closer connection is more likely.

Still in the same example, let’s say his great-grandfather moved to a warmer region to marry a Brazilian with Portuguese grandchildren and Costa Rica. All these ancestors can be visualized by the genetic traits you haveand will be represented by percentage forms in the results because the results have shown you to be divided into various “nationalities”.

If you are only interested in your maternal lineage rather than nuclear DNA, researchers will analyze their mitochondrial DNA, since mitochondria are only donated by mothers.

In parenting tests, to find out whether we belong to a family group, comparative examples are of the people to be tested. It compares sequence by sequence and attempts to determine the greatest equality among the people tested.

If the test was performed with grandparents, uncles and half-siblings, for the test to be considered positive, people must share 25% of the genetic code. If the relationship is more distant, such as first cousins, the sharing should be 12.5% ​​and second degree 3.13%.

And guess what for parents? As we said at the beginning, parents contribute 50% of their children’s DNA, so when DNA tests indicate 47.5% to 50% agreement, congratulations, you are the father!

What if I receive a blood transfusion and perhaps undergo a DNA test, could there be a false positive? No, most of the cells that make up blood..

When blood is collected for DNA tests, researchers look only for leukocytes, which are cells of the immune system that circulate with other cells that make up our blood.

There are not enough of them to change their DNA. Also, these cells die after some time. If the test is done well, it rarely misses, then there is no excuse except that you are a chimera. But that’s for another day.

If you love genetics, know what other information your DNA can reveal about you. Stay tuned to Tecmundo for more basic letter soups for your information!