Health & Fitness

Within the last 20 years, DNA testing services have been a crucial tool for proving a persons innocence or guilt in several criminal cases. As a matter of fact, a number of inmates who were serving time for a crime they never committed were freed due to the results found from a DNA test. Not only is DNA testing used for criminal cases, it is also used for a number of other various reasons.

The accuracy of DNA testing is nearly perfect–99.9 percent in most cases. Consequently, DNA testing services are requested when there is a situation that can only be answered with the information obtained from DNA test results. The most common occurrences for using such a test are when a couple is uncertain as to the paternity of a baby, there is doubt about someones biological identity, a person wants to trace their genealogy biologically, an adopted person wants to track down his or her biological parent, or when determining if an accused perpetrator of a crime is indeed a match for any DNA samples that were collected at the crime scene.

For any of the scenarios above, DNA analysis is a fantastic tool. DNA cannot lie, and therefore DNA testing services are the ideal solution for a number of concerns. Since the accuracy rating is so high, the benefit of using a DNA test is the concrete nature of the findings. Not only that, but the tests can be done confidentially and can also be used as legal documentation in court proceedings.

What Exactly Is DNA and How Does Testing Work?
DNA, or as it is scientifically known, deoxyribonucleic acid, is termed the genetic building block of life. Each and every person has a unique DNA make-up, except for identical twins. As a result, certain samples taken from a person can prove or disprove that they are a parent or sibling to someone, or whether they were at the scene of a crime.

There are a wide variety of samples that can be used to perform a DNA test. Undergarments, semen stains, vaginal stains, saliva on a plastic cup, ear wax, fingernail clippings, urine, licked stamps, dried blood, hair with or without roots, chewing gum, cigarette butts, used tissue, dental floss, and dried skin are only a few items that can be used for testing purposes. Once the DNA evidence is collected through any one of these methods, the sample is sent off to a laboratory for testing.

Most times results can be reached within days, yet there are some DNA testing services that take a bit longer. Testing for sibling analysis can take up to a few weeks. Paternity testing and criminal testing are much quicker and the results can be used in a court of law.

Types and Costs of DNA Testing Services
It is truly amazing how far our science and technology have come–there are DNA test kits that can be used in the privacy of your own home. They are relatively inexpensive, costing between 100 to 450 dollars, depending on your needs. They are also fairly simple to use, making it easy for anyone to perform their own test.

Most times a home kit will ask that a person take a DNA sample from swabbing the inside of their cheek. The test will then be mailed off to the laboratory used by the kit maker and analyzed there. For criminal cases, testing is done rather quickly, since the results are pertinent to making a case. Either way, the tests from an at-home kit are analyzed in a laboratory just as professional tests are, so the accuracy rate will be the same.