Curious about your ancestry or if you might be a carrier of a genetic disease? The latest trend in medical science is direct-to-consumer DNA testing kits. These home DNA “spit tests” allow you to discover all sorts of things about your genetic make-up and origins. But what do they entail? And what about privacy? Here’s everything you need to know before you buy a home DNA kit.
Do Your Research
Various companies offer DNA testing kits. Some of these kits are very different in their focus. So before you choose, you need to ask yourself what exactly it is that you hope to learn by taking the test.
Some people want to discover their connection with a certain relative. Others hope to become more aware with regard to disease risk. Or maybe you’re just looking to reveal your ethnic origins. A testing kit is a quite effortless process, as it typically requires a tiny DNA sample, like bit of your saliva.
Different DNA Testing Kits Tests Answer Different Questions
There are generally three types of DNA tests that you could take, which are common across direct-to-consumer DNA testing kits. The first is the Y-chromosomal DNA test, which examines the 23rd pair of chromosomes that typically determine an individual’s sex. This is only available to genetically male individuals, as they are the ones who possess the Y chromosome and allows them to trace their paternal ancestry. The mitochondrial DNA test, on the other hand, is available to individuals of any sex and allows them to trace their maternal heritage. Finally, the autosomal DNA test traces both parental lines and covers 22 out of the 23 chromosome pairs in our DNA – and as such contains the most information about ourselves.
Learn about Your Great-Grandparents’ Migration Patterns Or About Your Taste Preferences
Depending on what you would like revealed, there are different tests you could take. AncestryDNA, for example, is a very popular choice among people looking to map out their family tree in more detail and find out more about which parts of the world their ancestors most likely hailed from. It also helps you understand the migration patterns of your ancestors.
23andMe, another popular choice, offers a boosted-up version that allows you to trace your ancestry and get reports on genetic risk. Their health test will tell you if you’re at risk for diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and breast cancer. They also include traits that are more on the fun side, like your sensitivity to asparagus odor, reaction to caffeine, or potential for chin dimples.
DNA Testing Kits & Privacy Concerns
Taking a DNA test is not a decision you should make without first considering the major privacy implications. Once your DNA sequencing is out there, you can’t take it back.
Make sure that you read the fine print first and understand the implications before ordering a DNA at home testing kit. This could affect both you and close relatives. Since you share DNA with your family, taking a DNA test also exposes their info.
Between smartphones, autonomous cars and the internet of things, technology seems to have taken some big leaps lately. Everyday applications of incredibly complex and cutting-edge tech are prevalent now more than ever, and we seem to become more and more familiar with them. At home DNA testing kits are just the next step in this technical evolution.
How do you feel about DNA testing kits? Have you taken a DNA test already? Please share your opinion in the comments.
NERD NOTE: Forensic scientists can use DNA in saliva, blood, semen, skin, or hair found at a crime scene to identify a matching DNA of an individual, such as a perpetrator. This process is called DNA profiling or DNA fingerprinting.
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Frank Wilson is a retired teacher with over 30 years of combined experience in the education, small business technology, and real estate business. He now blogs as a hobby and spends most days tinkering with old computers. Wilson is passionate about tech, enjoys fishing, and loves drinking beer.
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i just submitted my 23andMe spit test. cant wait to see the results. but im definitely scared about privacy issues. what happens if in 200 years someone uses my DNA to clone an army of slaves?
that’s a crazy story. glad it all worked out.
my coworker just did a DNA test and found out that she has a half-brother. her dad had an affair. her mom never knew. both her parents are dead, so it’s been a happy discovery.