DNA.

How is currently being used

DNA fingerprinting is a chemical test that shows the genetic makeup of a person or
other living things.

To get your DNA fingerprint, you would give a sample of cells from your body. This
can come from a swab inside your mouth, from your skin, the roots of your hair, or
your saliva, sweat, or other body fluids. Blood is usually the easiest way. Lab
workers treat the sample with chemicals to separate the strands of DNA and reveal
the unique parts of your genome. The results show up as a pattern of stripes that
can be matched against other samples.

Twenty years after the development of DNA fingerprinting, DNA analysis remains the
key to linking suspects to biological evidence and to identifying individuals in
crimes and disasters. Another important use is the establishment of paternity in
custody and child support litigation.
The list of additional uses for DNA fingerprinting continues to grow. For example,
DNA markers have proven to be powerful in the study of population genetics.
Molecular markers are used to detect sudden changes in populations, effects of
population fragmentation, and interaction of different populations.

Using blood from the mother and saliva from the father, scientists can now
determine whether a fetus has any chromosomal abnormalities that could cause a
genetic disorder. For example, DNA testing can reveal if an unborn baby will have
trisomy 21, or Down syndrome.
Researchers are beginning to expand the field of prenatal genetic testing even
further, using it to identify potential developmental delays and intellectual
disabilities such as autism.

DNA profiling is used to diagnose inherited disorders and human diseases and helps
find cures for those diseases, called hereditary conditions. Furthermore it matches
tissues of organ donors with those of people who need transplants.
Genetic testing can also reveal risk factors you may have inherited from your
parents, such as a high risk for breast or colon cancer. While this genetic risk
factor does not guarantee you will get the disease, it does increase your chances;
knowing about the risk may help you take preventive steps.

There are tests that compare your DNA to those they already have on record in hopes
of connecting you to unknown branches of your family tree. tests can also tell you
your genetic ethnicity. By detecting similarities, they can trace back generations
to connect you to the lands your ancestors once called home.

Genetics has given archaeology a great insight in recent years.

Scientists are on the way to an entirely new level in reconstructing events in our
history, which they’ve not come close to before, so scientists have to reinterpret
our entire recent history.

Ancient DNA is revealing new information about our history and some of the big
pieces of the puzzle are beginning to fall into place. Significantly, it shows a
dynamic and complex history of ancient human cultures.
New studies have mapped the DNA collected from ancient human skeletons from many
places all around the globe revealing new details about the origins of these
ancient people.

The impact of DNA on agriculture has been a very important one because it has
allowed breeders to facilitate the breeding of animals that have a better
resistance to diseases. It also allows farmers to produce more nutritious produce,
which has particularly important consequences in developing countries where the
population subsists on a small range of staple foods that have little variety. This
means that micronutrient deficiencies can be addressed in these countries.

Opinion

In my opinion the DNA is very important because it provides the basic blueprint for
all life, it is a fundamental determinant of how the body functions and the disease
process. The discovery of DNA has been utterly important for the science, as it
continues to revolutionize medicine, agriculture, forensics, paternity and many
other important fields in society today. The effect of the discovery of DNA on
scientific and medical progress has been colossal, from the identification of our
genes that trigger major diseases and the creation of drugs to treat these diseases
to the impact on the archeology.

Exposition
How is DNA currently being used

To get your DNA fingerprint, you would give a sample of cells from your body. This
can come from a swab inside your mouth, from your skin, the roots of your hair, or
your saliva, sweat, or other body fluids. Blood is usually the easiest way. Lab
workers treat the sample with chemicals to separate the strands of DNA and reveal
the unique parts of your genome.

DNA is used in many different fields, for instance in...

Medicine
• Identify diseases that are passed down through your family and Help
find cures for those diseases.
• It Matches tissues of organ donors with those of people who need
transplants.
Paternity
• It Shows who your parents, siblings, and other relatives may be.
• There are tests that can also tell you your genetic ethnicity by
comparing your DNA to those they already have on record.

Forensics
• It Physically connects a piece of evidence to a person or rule out
someone as a suspect.

Archaeology
• Ancient DNA is revealing new information about our history. New studies
have mapped the DNA collected from ancient human skeletons from many places all
around the globe revealing new details about the origins of these ancient people.

Agriculture
• The impact of DNA on agriculture has been a very important one because
it has allowed breeders to facilitate the breeding of animals that have a better
resistance to diseases. It also allows farmers to produce more nutritious products.