Further uses of genetic testing

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When you hear the phrase ‘genetic testing’, you may think about its medical uses, such as diagnosing genetic conditions. But genetic testing isn’t limited to the medical field. In this video, we look at some other important uses of genetic testing that you might not know about.

Each of us has a unique set of DNA. Scientists can analyse it to make something called a DNA profile. This is a bit like a fingerprint, and it can allow someone to be identified using just their genetic makeup.

DNA profiling has lots of important uses and can even help solve crimes. This is called forensic testing. In this process, a suspect’s unique DNA profile is compared to DNA found at a crime scene, looking for matches which may implicate or rule them out.

As we inherit our DNA from our parents, we are more likely to share similarities in our DNA profiles with members of our family. Genetic testing can use this to work out how two people are related to each other, by analysing how well their DNA profiles match. This can range from identifying a child’s biological father using paternity testing, to mapping whole family relationships over time through genetic genealogy.

Genetic ancestry testing uses a similar idea of comparing a person’s DNA to others from around the world to look for similarities which can predict things about their ancestry and heritage, such as their ethnicity.

Our DNA contains the genetic instructions to influence our characteristics, like hair colour. Some genetic tests use this information to predict how likely a person is to have certain traits, such as red hair. However, this doesn’t always paint the full picture as our environment also plays an important role in shaping our characteristics.

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