What is DNA Fingerprinting?
- Determine Family Relationship - DNA can help find out who a person's parents or siblings are. Prenatal paternity tests are available to mothers who need to identify the father of their unborn babies.
- Detect Inherited Diseases - Your genetic code can be tested to determine your likelihood of getting certain diseases.
- Prove Guilt or Innocence - DNA left at the scene of a crime can be matched with a sample from a suspect.
- Identify a Dead Body - The DNA from an unidentified body can be matched with a person in a government DNA database.
A small sample of hair, skin, blood, saliva, or other bodily fluid is all that is needed. DNA fingerprinting at DNA testing centers is done by having blood taken from a vein with a needle. Although less accurate than a test done on-site at a lab, the sample for completing a Home DNA Test is obtained with a mouth swab. The swab is then mailed to a lab and the results are returned to the testee some time afterwards.