DNA tests are a widely discussed topic. You have seen it everywhere the past few years. On tv spots, billboards, Instagram and Facebook ads and much more. But what exactly is a DNA test? How can you use it? When should you use it? All of these questions will be discussed in this blog. Read along if we have made you curious.

What is DNA?

A DNA strand is a kind of collection of almost all of your hereditary information. These packages are made up of delimited smaller pieces of DNA called genes. Each gene contains the information for the specific formation of a protein. They pass on all your hereditary characteristics, such as your length, shape of your eyebrows and eye colour. DNA is found in every cell of every human, but also of animals, plants and more. It largely determines what happens in your body: it is, as it were, the design for your existence. Inside the DNA is a genetic code that is unique to each person. This is why every creature has its own building plan and why we differ from each other, even though we are the same species. It is estimated that your body contains about 30,000 genes in total. This total package is also called the human genome. Because this collection is too complex to be stored in one place, it is spread across chromosomes. In the case of humans, each of our cell nuclei has a total of 46 chromosomes. Of these, 23 come from your mother and 23 from your father, all forming pairs. Each pair of chromosomes is unique and contains thousands of unique genes.

What is a DNA test?

A DNA test, simply put, tells you something about your heritage. This means, in most cases, that a DNA test will make clear whether someone is a biological parent or not. A DNA test can also be done on a pregnant woman when she wants to know whether or not a man is the biological father. This is called paternity test while pregnant.

When should you do a DNA test?

This is, of course, completely up to you. Most people do a DNA test to know whether or not someone is their biological parent. When there is a legal dispute, this needs to be done with a legal DNA test. If this is not the case or you are just curious about your DNA, you can use a home DNA test kit.