Genealogy

12May 2021 by Compare DNA Kits No Comments

Is Deafness Inherited?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), deafness (or hearing loss) happens when a side or the two sides of the ear is not working effectively. This makes the person partially or completely dependent on visual (rather than auditory) means of communication like sign language, reading/writing, speech reading, or lip-reading. About 0.3% of 100 children are born with complete or partial deafness in one or both ears in the United States. This is according to the statistics collated by the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) as of March 2021. Within these same statistics, it was reported that more than ninety percent (90%) of these kids were born to parents that were neither partially nor completely deaf. This raises the question, what causes a person to be born…

28Feb 2020 by Compare DNA Kits No Comments

FamilyTreeDNA or Ancestry.com: Ancestry DNA Testing Comparing

Comparisons, Genealogy

When it comes to ancestry testing, there are many different companies you can choose from. However, only a few companies can offer you the very best ancestry results at a reasonable price. In this article, we directly compare FamilyTreeDNA with Ancestry.com, two of the main players in the ancestry DNA testing game. This compliments our previous comparison of MyHeritage vs Ancestry and 23andMe vs Ancestry. We compare everything, from company backgrounds to specific product offerings, so you can make an informed and confident decision! Comparison: Ancestry DNA and FamilyTreeDNA Side by Side [su_table] Ancestry FamilyTreeDNA Can be used for Personal Ancestry DNA Health Testing Personal Ancestry Y-DNA and mtDNA Ancestry DNA collection Saliva Collection Cheek Swab Number of SNPs tested 706,393 711,424 DNA sample stored Indefinitely 25 Years Availability Around…

08Feb 2020 by Compare DNA Kits No Comments

Genetic Genealogy, for FREE?! Amazing results for $0.

Genealogy

If you are anything like me, “free” is probably your favorite F-word. With the free websites and free resources below, you can begin a journey of discovery into your genetic history! These sites and resources utilize a free or “freemium” business model. This means that they give away some or all of their products to entice customers to subscribe or buy into their other products. Luckily for you, the consumer, there are so many sites giving away free information right now that you can actually get a fairly comprehensive analysis of your DNA ancestry without spending a dime! First Things First… Unfortunately, there are no companies that will just give you a free ancestry DNA test kit. To our knowledge, there is only one way to get a free…

06Jan 2020 by Compare DNA Kits No Comments

African Ancestry DNA Testing

Genealogy

If you are on the hunt for your African ancestors, we are here to help you out. This article discusses DNA testing for African ancestry, and the best companies to use for black ancestry. We consider the cost, results, and benefits of each company to help you make the right decision! Before you get started…You need to know some things before you dive head-first into DNA testing. First of all, the services offered by different companies can vary widely in price, mostly because they are measuring different things. [su_row] [su_column size="3/4"] [su_quote]Autosomal DNA tests, offered by the large majority of DNA testing companies, measure the large majority of your DNA. Autosomal DNA is used by companies like MyHeritage and Ancestry to determine your relatively recent common ancestors. The DNA…

18Aug 2019 by Compare DNA Kits No Comments

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

Genealogy, science

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 Compare DNA Kits 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 Compare DNA Kits 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 Compare DNA Kits 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 Compare DNA Kits 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 Compare DNA Kits 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…