How does the paternity testing process work?
DNA is extracted from a few drops of blood, cheek cells, or cultured cells. Enzymes are used to cut the DNA sample into fragments, which are then placed into a gel matrix. An electric current drives the fragments across the gel – the smallest fragments move the farthest, while the largest move the least distance. The seperated DNA fragments are transferred to a nylon membrane, which is exposed to a labeled DNA probe, a short piece of customized DNA that recognizes and binds to a unique segment of the tested person’s DNA. This nylon membrane is placed against a film which, when developed, reveals black bands where the probes are bound to the DNA. The visible band pattern of the child is unique – half matches the mother and half matches the father. The process is repeated several times, with each probe identifying a different area in the DNA and producing a distinct pattern. Using several probes, greater than 99.9% certainty about paternity or identity can be acheived.
– DNA is extracted from a few drops of blood, cheek cells, or cultured cells. Enzymes are used to cut the DNA sample into fragments, which are then placed into a gel matrix. An electric current drives the fragments across the gel – the smallest fragments move the farthest, while the largest move the least distance. The separated DNA fragments are transferred to a nylon membrane, which is exposed to a labeled DNA probe, a short piece of customized DNA that recognizes and binds to a unique segment of the tested person’s DNA. This nylon membrane is placed against a film which, when developed, reveals black bands where the probes are bound to the DNA. The visible band pattern of the child is unique – half matches the mother and half matches the father. The process is repeated several times, with each probe identifying a different area in the DNA and producing a distinct pattern. Using several probes, greater than 99.9% certainty about paternity or identity can be achieved. (The information