How to Determine Genetic Maps from Paternity Tests

Paternity testing determines father-son relationship with 99.99 percent accuracy.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) collected during paternity testing provides the blueprint for an individual's physical characteristics. Paternity testing begins by collecting a tissue sample, usually by swabbing the inside of the mouth cheek. Technicians isolate a cell from the sample and map the 23 pairs of chromosomes. One chromosome in each pair is inherited from the father and one is inherited from the mother. Analysis of genetic markers, called genetic mapping, makes it possible to determine paternity or kinship of individuals.

Things You'll Need

• Paternity test kit

Instructions

1. 

   DNA information is stored in double-helix fashion in the cells of the body.

   Purchase a DNA-testing kit. You can order paternity tests off the Internet from a number of reputable laboratories.

2. Follow instructions that come with the kit. Most kits come with cotton swabs and containers for the swabs, along with instructions for returning the swabs to the laboratory. Genetic material is collected by sticking the swab into your mouth and rubbing the swab against the inside of your cheek.

3. Complete all paperwork. Provide your name, birth date and other essential information. Review the paperwork for completeness and accuracy.

4. Join a surname group or project group. An Internet search on "family tree DNA" will yield results for many ancestral genetic mapping sites. Visit various sites and do a search for your surname. Your surname may already be under research by one or more of these sites. By submitting your genetic data for comparison to the databases, you will be able to determine much of your ancestral history.

Tips & Warnings

• Through analysis of your genetic markers, technicians determine the likelihood of kinship to another individual or individuals. An ancestral tree is established through genetic mapping.

• The greater the number of genetic markers compared during analysis, the greater the accuracy of comparison. Tests vary in price according to the number of markers analyzed.

• Male ancestral lines and female ancestral lines are analyzed separately because males carry Y chromosomes, making it possible to establish descent in a male line with great accuracy. Female ancestral lines are determined through analysis of mitrochondrial DNA. Kinship, but not direct descent, is established through female testing.

References

• National Human Genome Institute: Genetic Mapping
• Johns Hopkins Medicine: What Is Genetic Mapping?
• DNA Paternity Testing: Misattributed Paternity in Genetic Testing
• Genetics Home Reference: X Chromosome
• United States Department of Agriculture: What Is a Genetic Marker?
• Annals of Clinicial and Laboratory Science: Genetic Marker Analysis in Cases of Disputed Paternity When the Alleged Father Is Deceased

Resources

• Paternity USA: Get Familiar with DNA Testing Terms