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Overview
Inside every cell of our body, DNA is located in the nucleus, where it’s protected and ready to be expressed when protein synthesis began.
In humans, there are approximately 20,000 genes that translate into hundreds of thousands of proteins using splicing methods.
Preserving the integrity of DNA is absolutely crucial since genetic mutations can lead to several debilitating maladies, such as sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis, and Tay-Sachs disease.
Now that you are familiar with the basics of DNA, we will discuss the concept of DNA testing, as well as its benefits.
What is DNA testing?
The process of DNA testing is relatively new to the scientific community. Despite that, it has a huge potential with numerous benefits.
Once the lab receives a sample from you, technicians will isolate the DNA using chemical reactions. The next step would be the sequencing of DNA, which allows us to read your genetic material and compare it to a large database.
As we mentioned earlier, this process was exclusively done to identify genetic abnormalities and confirm the diagnosis of rare diseases.
However, DNA testing has evolved since then, and many companies offer their services to test patients’ DNA in order to provide them with helpful tips about diet, exercise, and lifestyle habits to optimize their health.
If you think about it, there is no better way to tell you what you’re doing right or wrong than your own genetic code.
The procedure of DNA testing
The procedure of DNA testing has never been easier.
All you have to do is provide a body sample, which can be saliva, blood, hair, or skin tissue. After that, the company takes the sample to its labs, where the best geneticists and DNA experts work on the clock to decipher the codes of every DNA sample they receive.
Once the genetic code is isolated from the sample, the double-stranded DNA will be split using high temperatures.
The next step would be to use polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to duplicate the DNA sample in order to compare it to the database.
Once the sequencing and screening for genetic diseases are over, the experts will analyze the code to find any helpful tips about your diet, physical activity, and cognition.
The analysis results and practical tips will get printed, and you will receive the complete report of your DNA testing.
As you can see, this process is complex and involves several high-tech pieces of machinery to accurately perform the testing.
Fortunately, your role in this equation is limited since all you have to do is give a tissue sample and wait for the results.
Takeaway message
DNA testing has revolutionized the fields of healthcare and nutrition, as it provides essential information for people to optimize their health.
Hopefully, you have a better idea about DNA testing and what health benefits to expect from it. However, if you still have any questions, feel free to ask in the comment section below.
