Fascinating facts about DNA

DNA is one of the most fascinating parts of the human body. It was only discovered in the late 20th century. However, the structure and function were only revealed in the 1950s. You might think that such an important part of how humans survive and reproduce would be better understood by now. But scientists are constantly learning more through the fields of genetics, epigenetics, molecular biology, and more. If you want to know more about DNA, keep reading.

What does DNA do?

Deoxyribonucleic acid is the part of your cells that contains information about the functions of each area of your body. Genes are often discussed when talking about DNA, but they aren’t the same thing. Only two percent of DNA is made up of genes for sharing the traits that are passed from generation to generation. The rest is sometimes called dark DNA. This controls the genes and how they act. One of the most important things that DNA does is creating RNA, which is a messenger that “tells” the rest of the cell to create protein. Proteins are the components that carry out most functions within the cell. One type of cell that doesn’t contain DNA is red blood cells. This is because they don’t have a nucleus to store the information. This way, more oxygen can be stored and transported around the body because the nucleus isn’t taking up space. So how do forensic scientists use DNA testing on blood from a crime scene? Blood is made up of three kinds of cells: red, white, and platelets. The white cells contain DNA and are used for testing.

How does DNA testing work?

Even though DNA is responsible for all the differences in characteristics you see in humans, from eye colour, to height, to skin colour, everyone shares around 99.9% of DNA. The 0.1% is where the differences are. And, even though so much of DNA is the same, there is enough information to confirm if two people are closely related. A swab can be taken from a child and their potential father and compared using forensic sciences. You can use a swab from the mouth or a blood test to get the necessary cells. For example, you can get a paternity test by dnacenter.com where your sample and the potential family member’s will be stored carefully and then compared using DNA sequencing. These tests are about 100% accurate when done correctly.