Genealogy

18Aug 2019 by rguto2G1SG No Comments

Are you being ripped off? Correlation vs. Causation in Genetic Tests

Updated August 18 with information about Microbiome testing. For those of you new to the genetic testing field, you should first have a solid understanding of correlation versus causation. The distinction between these scientific terms can allow you to get the most out of your genetic tests, and truly understand how your genes affect your health and lifestyle. While the two terms are related, the difference between correlation and causation is similar to the difference between an educated guess and knowing the answer outright. Knowing whether a genetic report is based on correlation or causation makes a big difference in how serious you should take the results (or how good is the test kit). First, let’s get an understanding of what correlation and causation actually are. Correlation A correlation…

12Aug 2019 by rguto2G1SG No Comments

Are Telemore DNA Tests Reliable?

Genealogy, science

What are Telomeres? Telomeres are distinctive structures, regionized in DNA strands which are located at each end. They are caps to prevent the chromosome from deteriorating, somewhat like the plastic shells of a shoelace. They have a repetitive, short DNA sequence and are many kilobases in length. The Telomeres also prevent fusing with neighbouring chromosomes. Telomeres derives from the two Greek words “telos” which means “end” and ”meros” which means “part”. The sequence in human Telomeres is TTAGGG, which is repeated around 2,500 times. There are 194 Telomeres in a human cell, 4 for each of the 46 chromosomes. What are Telomere tests As cells age, its Telomeres gradually become shorter. The average cell will divide around 60 times before it dies. As the cell divides, the Telomeres of course…

14May 2019 by rguto2G1SG No Comments

At-Home DNA Tests: Taking Action on Your Results

Genealogy

At home DNA tests can provide a large wealth of information about your genetics. Many companies now offer these tests, with a wide variety of results and information being analyzed. Some tests focus solely on ancestry, while others analyze aspects of your genes related to health, disease, fitness, or nutrition. While all of these tests use similar methods of correlating DNA data to various outcomes, not all tests are extremely useful. To get the most out of your DNA test kit, you need to understand what results you are getting, how accurate and predictive those results are, and what you can do in spite of your genetics. Below is a thorough review of many different types of genetic tests, the results you can expect, and what you can do to…

19Mar 2019 by rguto2G1SG 2 Comments

11 Times DNA Testing Changed Lives

Comparisons, Genealogy

When it comes to DNA testing, the results can be life-changing. Millions of people are now getting direct-to-consumer top notch DNA tests, by companies like 23andMe or Ancestry.com and many of them are finding surprises within their genome. Some of these are good surprises, while other times people wish they had never taken the DNA test. Below are some of the most interesting stories to have surfaced. Reader Beware! Not all of these stories have a happy ending…. Woman Finds “Dad” is Not Biological Father https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/an-innocent-dna-test-changed-my-whole-world-20181022-p50b87.html Rose Mayeux took a DNA test to learn more about her Italian heritage. To her surprise, the test came back saying she had no Italian heritage whatsoever. Thinking the results were incorrect, she had her brother take the test. His results came back…

07Dec 2018 by rguto2G1SG No Comments

Home DNA Paternity Test

Genealogy, science

Can Direct-to-Consumer Genetics Tests Provide Accurate Results? First, How Does Paternity Testing Work? Paternity testing, like other forms of familial testing (sibling, maternal, etc.) is a relatively straightforward practice. Other forms of DNA analysis rely on understanding the genes involved and their relationship with disease. In paternity testing, scientists are simply checking to see if the DNA matches in various locations. In this article we will focus on home DNA paternity tests. To understand how this process can identify someone as a direct family member, you must understand a little bit about genetics. A human starts as two different cells, the sperm and the egg. Inside of these cells is exactly half of the DNA necessary to create a human. Both cells contain 23 chromosomes, or parts of DNA. Half Mom,…

05Dec 2018 by rguto2G1SG No Comments

Autosomal testing vs Mitochondrial testing (mtDNA) vs Y-Chromosome testing

Genealogy, science

When going over your options for a direct-to-consumer DNA test, the options can be overwhelming. Between the different companies available, testing methods used, and services provided, it can be hard to choose a company and plan with any confidence. In terms of testing methods alone, there are several approaches different companies take to analyze your genetics. In general, companies tend to analyze up to 3 different parts of your genetic code. The majority of companies test your Autosomal Chromosomes. These chromosomes represent a majority of your DNA. They account for 22 of the 23 chromosomes. The 23 chromosome is your Sex Chromosome, and contains two forms: X and Y. Females have a pair of X chromosomes, while men have an X and a Y. Because the Y is always passed down…

01Dec 2018 by rguto2G1SG No Comments

Criticism about Home Genetic Testing

Genealogy, Privacy

As much as direct-to-customer home DNA kits have been sparking interest across the globe, there has been rising criticism about them. The criticism is normally not geared at one individual company (while 23andMe are taking most the heat being the biggest and running into trouble with the FDA in the past) but rather about the concept of offering DNA kits to people and supply information which is either not accurate enough or cannot be used clinically. Everyone loved 23andMe and other home genetic test kits as long as they focused on novelty; when marketing started focusing on personal DNA kits as a diagnostic tool, that's when all hell broke loose. Critical articles about home genetic testing Below you can find the most prominent articles relating to genetic home tests. [su_box style="glass"…