• Why DNA Tests?

Quick Glimpse Behind the Science

Every cell in our bodies – from heart to skin, blood to bone – contains a complete set of our DNA.

  • 99.9% of the DNA from two people will be identical.

    The 0.1% of DNA code sequences that vary from person to person are what make us unique.

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Genetically we are almost identical, but in each gene there are points of variation. The most common type of variation is a single base change at a particular position – this variation is called a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism, or SNP for short (pronounced ‘snip’).

HOW IT WORKS

sin·gle nu·cle·o·tide pol·y·mor·phism

  • The key to DNA testing is knowing where to look in the billions of letters of genetic code to find the genetic markers that will identify the important similarities or differences between people.

Because all cells in the body contain exactly the same DNA, samples can be taken from almost anywhere in the body, including skin, hair follicles, blood and other bodily fluids.

HOW IT WORKS

“Our DNA test compares your DNA sequence against a library of traits and conditions.”

46

Human Chromosomes

2

Meters of DNA

Out of 3 billion base pairs in your DNA, only 5 million are unique to you.

3,000,000,000

Sub Units A, T, C, G

30,000

Approximately Human Protein Coded Genes