Search Results for: DNA markers
Early DNA Tests on Pregnant Women
Noninvasive screening tests performed during your first trimester can give you valuable, if inconclusive, information about your baby’s risk for Down syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities. Diagnostic DNA tests can be performed as early as the first trimester and can conclusively tell you what blood tests and ultrasounds cannot. Certain prenatal tests can also determine the father of your child, if paternity is in question.
What Are the Pros & Cons of DNA Testing?
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the material found in almost all living creatures that determines heredity. Although science has long known that heredity plays a part in personal traits, it was not until the 1950s that a group of scientists were able to see the DNA. Using an X-ray technique, the first picture of the now-famous double helix was recorded. The following decades brought great advances in genetics, and once genetic research was teamed with computer technology, medical labs were able to advance DNA testing for individual patient use.