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DNA Testing For Diseases



 Submitted by Medical Health Test Team on August 3, 2010
DNA Test For Diseases

The human body is made up of millions of cells. Each cell is located in a different part of the body and follows the form and function required for cells in that area of the body. The information that is needed to tell each cell what to do is stored in the DNA of the human body. DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid. It is present in the cells of the body and contains the blueprint for the cell concerned. This helps the body grow and develop in a proper way. DNA material is received from both parents of a child. The child receives half of his or her DNA from one parent and half from the other. All the physical traits of the child such as appearance, height and weight are a result of the interaction of the genes received by the child from his or her parents. This is the reason why members of a particular family look similar to each other.

There is also a link between DNA and diseases. Some individuals may have a genetic predisposition to developing a particular disease. This does not mean that that person will necessarily suffer from the disease. It does mean, however, that the chance of that person suffering from the disease is increased. This is a useful analysis as it can help the concerned person to avoid the triggers associated with the disease. It could also be a guide for the person and the concerned doctor to conduct regular checkups to make sure that any such disease is caught at an early stage or prevented altogether.

A DNA test may be conducted to establish the nature of the person’s DNA and whether this means that there is an inherited susceptibility to a disease. The link between DNA and disease is the reason why one may find that an entire family is afflicted by a particular condition. In some cases, a DNA test for diseases could be conducted on a couple who are planning to have a child. Some genetic mutations are high risk and tend to be fatal for all patients with the particular gene. It usually takes a combination of affected genes to cause a particular disease. If the couple find that they are carrying the pairs of that gene, they may choose to avoid reproduction or they may choose to go for a DNA test during pregnancy to see if their child is affected by the DNA mutation or not.  
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