›› DNA Testing
To those of us who
are hooked to television drama series where crime and criminals are
dealt with on a fairly regular basis, the term ‘DNA
testing’ would surely not be alien. Even the soaps have made
us familiar with DNA testing by constantly referring to paternity
testing! We all know that criminals leave behind their DNA in hair
samples, skin samples, spit, sweat, semen and a lot of other body
excretions and that the genetic origins of an offspring can be
determined by examining or testing the DNA of the parents. But how many
of us know what it really means?
But before we delve deeper into what DNA testing really is, we need to
understand more about DNA. DNA (or Dieoxyribo nucleic acid, as it is
scientifically known) is the cellular material that contains the source
code for all living things. The DNA is a long, string-like structure
that determines the eye color, hair color, physical structure, height,
bone density and several other traits. These traits are not restricted
to human DNA alone. Animal and plant DNA also function in a similar
way. Each strand of DNA therefore functions as a unique code that can
help us track back to the unique individual who created it.
This is where DNA
testing has become an invaluable tool for forensics experts and crime
prevention professionals. Because each strand of DNA is unique and
could have come from only one person in the entire universe, DNA
testing is viewed as one of the most foolproof ways to tie-in a suspect
with a crime scene. Most courts in most parts of the world use DNA
testing results as the final say in matters concerning crimes. In the
initial days of the DNA testing technology, the process was lesser
understood, long and prohibitively expensive. However, the advances
made in clinical oncology, the comprehensive understanding of the DNA
structure after having unraveled the DNA in the Genome project and the
relative affordability of DNA testing, have made its use more
widespread.
Today, several other
branches of science (apart from crime and criminal related) use DNA
testing tools and techniques for a variety of applications. Paternity
tests are one of the most commonly used applications of DNA testing.
This is the use of DNA testing in cases where the parent or parents may
want to verify the genetic traits of the child, or even to verify if
the child is their at all! Each year, there are scores of allegations
against celebrities, rock stars and even political figures, o their
having fathered a child. These claims are easily verifiable through the
use of DNA testing technology to establish paternity.
Finding lost family members has also become possible due to the growth
and development of the DNA testing technology. Now claims from long
lost brothers, siblings or cousins can easily be verified. DNA testing
is also finding newer and novel uses in the defense arena, where the
victims of genocide and or strife can be identified even with the
absence of any appreciable body parts. The truth has always been out
there, but with DNA testing, it can become a verified fact!
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