Grandparent DNA Testing To Establish Family Relationship


by Rich Fuller - Date: 2007-02-14 - Word Count: 418 Share This!

Apart from DNA paternity tests, DNA tests may also be used to establish other family relationships, such as that of a child's grandparents. In this article we are going to look at the subject of grandparent DNA tests, how they are done and what it involves.

A grandparent DNA test helps to confirm the relationship between a child and an alleged grandparent. This test is based on the fact that a child receives half its DNA from each parent and that parent in turn receives half its DNA from each of its parents. A portion of the grandparents DNA is therefore passed on to the child and it is this which can be tested to prove whether a child really is a grandchild or not.

A grandparent DNA test may be done using samples from one or both grandparents on one side, the child, and preferably a parent. Some grandparent DNA tests may require that both grandparents be tested, while others allow for just one grandparent to be tested.

Grandparent DNA tests are done in the same way as other DNA tests and can be ordered through a laboratory that does grandparent DNA testing or online. DNA samples are then collected, generally through a swab of the inner cheek. These samples are sent to the laboratory and the geneticists will compare the DNA samples from the grandparents, grandchild and parent (where possible).

Grandparent DNA tests are generally done when the alleged father (the grandparent's son) is missing or deceased and the grandparents still want to (or need to) know whether the child is biologically related to them. It can also be done in the case where the mother is unavailable and her parents are tested to see if they are related.

If grandparent DNA testing is done for legal reasons you will need to ensure that there are witnesses to the DNA sampling and so it is usually necessary in these cases for the DNA tests to be done in a laboratory. If it just for piece of mind you can order a home DNA test kit and take your own samples to send to the laboratory.

In conclusion, grandparent DNA testing helps to establish the relationship between a child and its alleged grandparents. This is done by collecting samples from one or both grandparents on one side, the child, and preferably a parent. These samples are then analyzed by the laboratory who can tell by comparing the DNA samples how likely it is that the child is the grandchild of the alleged grandparents.


Related Tags: dna testing, paternity testing, grandparent dna test

Learn more about genealogy test on our site. You'll also find other information such as paternity testing and DNA test labs. GeneticDNATestingHelp.org is a comprehensive resource for people who are interested in gentic DNA testing for paternity, genealogy, or medical reasons.

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