Difference between revisions of "DNA Basics"
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* Y-chromosome (Y-DNA) - Male ancestors only. Not passed to daughters except with rare exceptions. | * Y-chromosome (Y-DNA) - Male ancestors only. Not passed to daughters except with rare exceptions. | ||
* Mitochondrial (mtDNA) – carried by Female ancestors only, but passed to sons. | * Mitochondrial (mtDNA) – carried by Female ancestors only, but passed to sons. | ||
* Autosomal - both male and female ancestors. Autosomal DNA is the most common | * Autosomal - both male and female ancestors. Autosomal DNA is the most common test people take and is the DNA test that lets you most easily find your genetic origins and cousins. | ||
[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KKamK6KeOzpTmDp-xs4etj2rDQLig0cp/view?usp=sharing DNA Basics] | [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KKamK6KeOzpTmDp-xs4etj2rDQLig0cp/view?usp=sharing DNA Basics] | ||
Latest revision as of 10:46, 8 March 2023
Deoxyribonucleic acid (definition): a self-replicating material present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes. It is the carrier of genetic information.
Why use DNA testing for genealogy.[1]
- To learn more about one’s ancestry
- To confirm one’s tree reflects ancestry
- To confirm relationship between two people
- To validate a theory of where people came from
- To break down a brick wall in research
- To find biological relatives of an adopted person
- To learn where traits came from
Types of DNA
- Y-chromosome (Y-DNA) - Male ancestors only. Not passed to daughters except with rare exceptions.
- Mitochondrial (mtDNA) – carried by Female ancestors only, but passed to sons.
- Autosomal - both male and female ancestors. Autosomal DNA is the most common test people take and is the DNA test that lets you most easily find your genetic origins and cousins.
Testing Companies
- AncestryDNA
- 23andme
- Family Tree DNA
- Living DNA
- MyHeritageDNA
- GEDmatch
DNA tests can have surprise results.
- You might find you have a half-sibling that you never knew about. An affair, perhaps?
- You might find you or someone in your family was adopted.
- You might find ethnic origins that nobody ever knew. Your great-grandma might not have had a clue as to her origin!
DNA testing requires ethical considerations.
- Before you handle someone else’s DNA results, start reading about ethics at https://bcgcertification.org/skillbuilding-the-ethics-of-dna-testing/.
- At the very least, get permission to post DNA results or share on various web sites.
- Consider who will be the custodian of DNA results for someone who passes on.