How to Figure Out Genotypes
A genotype is the sequence of DNA for a particular individual. This could apply to the entire sequence in theory, but in practice it typically covers only a small fraction of a person's total DNA. Genotyping is the process of identifying genotypes in an individual, and there are several ways to do this, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), allele specific oligonucleotide (ASO) assays and DNA microarrays. Genotyping is commonly performed for paternity tests, diagnosing genetic diseases and research.
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Maternity and paternity tests typically need to analyze 10 to 20 regions of the genome. This is an extremely small percentage of the human genome, which consists of about 3 billion nucleotides (base pairs of DNA).
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Genotyping a group of individuals is commonly performed on microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses, and is known as molecular epidemiology. This form of genotyping enables epidemiologists to trace the origins of a disease.
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In addition, genotyping can identify transgenic organisms. A transgenic organism is one that has been genetically modified, typically with a single identifying marker. This frequently allows a single PCR assay to determine the genotype of a transgenic organism.
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Genotyping leads to diagnosing specific genetic disorders. It is able to easily identify abnormalities that involve the entire chromosome such as trisomy 21, also known as Downs syndrome.
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Future innovations will doubtless involve advances in mass sequencing genotyping technologies that will allow the genotyping of an individual's entire genome.
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