+353 (1) 685 6929 The DNA Test: DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the genetic blueprint that determines a person’s biological characteristics. DNA is located in the cell of the human body. Upon conception, a child inherits one half of its DNA from its mother and one half from its father. This unique combination of DNA will match that of the biological parents of the child.
A DNA test does not involve analysis of the entire DNA in our body. When doing a paternity test, laboratory analysts will analyze only very specific locations on the DNA molecule. These locations are referred to as genetic loci and analysis of just a few of these loci and the consequent comparison of them between alleged father and child can easily give you the result of the paternity test(test de paternitate).
The DNA Test: How is it done?
For the test to take place, cheek cells are removed with a swab from the mouth of the mother, the child and the alleged father. In the laboratory, these cells are removed from the swab and tested. When a child’s DNA does not match that of the alleged father, he is excluded 100% as the biological father of the child. When the child’s DNA does match that of the alleged father, this means that the alleged father is the biological father of the child.
If for example, the two alleged fathers in a paternity test are brothers and thus have extremely similar genetic makeup (although it is possible for the genetic similarity between full sibling to vary and thus, they may have genetic profiles which are almost the same or perhaps entirely different) paternity DNA testing can still distinguish which of the two men is the biological father of a child. The real father will always have a probability inclusion of paternity of 99.9% or higher; the brother will have a very high probability of paternity of let’s say 98% but this percentage is not high enough for him to be the biological father of the child- he is clearly the uncle of the child.
The DNA test, whether for paternity or to determine the existence of relationships between people is highly accurate and reliable. However, the DNA test becomes less accurate as the relationship between people becomes more distant (second and third cousins for example)