Personal DNA Testing Melanie Wark Mackenzie Steen

In humans, the DNA molecule in a cell, if fully extended, would have a total length of 1.7 metres. If you unwrap all the DNA you have in all your cells, you could reach the moon times!

What is DNA Testing? The process of analyzing genetic material from an individual to determine identity, susceptibility to disease and other important information DNA analysis can provide: Insights about our health, behavior, family history and other traits. Highly personal information with personal, social and familial impact.

History of Personal DNA Testing The use of genetic tests in forensics goes back a century to the discovery of blood typing. The development of the first DNA fingerprinting techniques by Alec Jeffreys was in 1984, followed by the development of PCR based methods. Research in the 1990s and 2000s improved on testing significantly, extending the boundaries of their application to situations unimaginable only a few decades earlier.

DNA Testing Now In 2001, scientists announced the successful completion of the Human Genome Project the project made to determine the order of the three billion DNA base pairs that make up the genes in the human genome with this sequence, scientists are able to analyze the genome to learn more about how our DNA affects who we are Scientists use the sequence data from the Human Genome Project by looking for people's differences in their DNA

How it Works When scanning your DNA, scientist look for SNPs SNP stands for Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Nearly all of our DNA is the same from person to person but there are about 3 million spots where a base varies These spots are called a SNP

How it Works 1.Your saliva is squirted onto a silicone chip lonking billions of tiny fragments of reference DNA to compare with yours 2.Wherever the sample DNA matches your DNA, the two will link and light up revealing exactly what letters you have in certain spots 3.Your SNPs are then compared to other peoples with certain diseases

Current Research and Advancements Through genetic testing, investigators can now measure genetic or biogeographic ancestry. Only recently have the applications of ancestry testing entered into biomedical research and clinical practice the costs associated with genetic testing have decreased.

The Future of DNA Testing Genetic testing will play a larger role in cancer risk assessment, detection, and treatment in the future. Testing can… determine by the genes of cancer cells, find out what treatment is likely to be helpful show whether a person’s body can process certain medicines normally Many new cancer medicines are being developed based on the known gene changes often found in cancer cells As technology evolves, tests will become more accurate and genes will be able to be seen one at a time

Types of Tests DiagnosticUsed to confirm a diagnosis based on physical signs PredictiveUsed to detect gene mutations associated with disorders that appear later in life Carrier IdentificationUsed by people with a family history of recessive genetic disorders PrenatalUsed to test a foetus when there is risk of bearing a child with mental or physical disabilities Newborn ScreeningUsed as a preventative health measure once the baby is born Forensic testingUsed to identify an individual for legal purposes Research testingUsed for finding unknown genes and identifying the function of a gene

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