Why is using a cheek swab better than using a blood sample?
The use of a cheek swab has many advantages over the use of a blood sample. The DNA that is present in cells is the same regardless of the source of that cell, be it blood or cheek. It does not matter where in the body those cells actually come from, the DNA that is in them is the same. The main advantage that you have with cheek cells is that the sample is easy to collect and relatively clean. When you collect epithelial cells from the lining of the cheek there is not much present on the swab other than cheek cells and a bit of saliva. A blood sample it is a very different proposition. The most common cell type in blood, red cells, does not contain any DNA. Even worse, those very common red cells contain hemoglobin which will interfere with a critical reaction in the breed ID process. Therefore the red cells must all be removed by a time consuming and expensive process. When we look at a cheek swab, the DNA that we obtain is easy to get to, relatively pure, and doesn’t require a labor
Related Questions
- Does the buccal cheek swab DNA analysis provide the same information as with blood sample or other body parts? A cheek swab collection is easy but is it the best DNA to sample?
- Does the buccal cheek swab DNA analysis provide the same information as with blood sample or other body parts? A cheek swab collection is easy but is it the best DNA sample?
- Why is using a cheek swab better than using a blood sample?
