A paternity test using DNA is the legitimate method to identify a person’s biological father. It is a widely accepted method by law for clearing paternity disputes. These tests can be done with any biological material containing DNA, but preferably blood tests and swab tests are generally used. Technically this method can also able to determine the father of an unborn baby.
Definition
What is a Paternity Test?
A paternity test is a method that is generally used to identify the biological father of an individual when a paternity dispute occurs. DNA is the primary material that is mapped using DNA fingerprinting and used to identify similarities and differences. The accuracy of these tests is about 99.9%.
What are the methods for a Paternity Test?
Biological materials from humans that contain DNA can be used for these tests. For more accurate results for legal purposes, blood tests and swab tests are mostly applied.
Blood Tests: The blood from the father (individual) is collected in the lab by an expert.
Swab Tests: Using a cotton swab, the cheek cells of the father (individual) are collected by an expert in a laboratory.
What is DNA Fingerprinting?
DNA fingerprinting is the method of capturing the images of the DNA of an individual on an X-ray film. Images of the DNA bands obtained by this method can be compared with appropriate tools and then identify the similarities and differences between samples of individuals.
DNA fingerprinting was developed by Alec Jeffreys in 1984. This method uses satellite DNA for fingerprinting. Satellite DNA is a non-coding region of eukaryotic cells. This region cell can have tandem repeats of a sequence. Every satellite DNA varies from one individual to another. This is caused by the variation of tandem repeats, leading to an increase or decrease in the length of the genomic DNA fragments. This variation is called as the Variable Number of Tandem Repeats or VNTR, which is the marker for DNA fingerprinting. Blood grouping was the method that was previously used before DNA fingerprinting
Steps: Isolation of DNA –> Restriction digestion of the obtained DNA sample –> Ampflication using PCR –> Gel Electrophoresis –> Southern Blotting –> Selection of Probe and undergoes hybridization –> Autoradiography –> Analysis of DNA band patterns.
What is the use of DNA sequencing in Paternity Tests?
The advancement of DNA sequencing and amplification has improved the accuracy of paternity tests. The increased accuracy is always based on the number of quality markers and samples.
What are the different types of Genetic tests?
1. Chromosome test: This test analyzes the long DNA strands/strings to identify the mismatches or similarities in the arrangement of genes or an extra copy of chromosomes.
2. Genomic test: This is the test that analyzes a single gene or the whole DNA of an individual. It can be used to identify any genetic malfunction in development.
What is a Non-Invasive Prenatal Paternity Test (NIPP)?
The NIPP test is a paternal test used to identify paternity before the child is born. It analyzes fetal DNA present in the mother’s bloodstream, typically after the 8th week of pregnancy. In this method, foetal DNA is collected from the bloodstream of the mother, after the 8th week of pregnancy.
What is Amniocentesis?
Amniocentesis is the method used for the identification of any genetic disorders in the developing fetus. This can be also used as a method for paternity tests. A healthcare professional draws out a small volume of amniotic fluid by inserting collecting equipment. In a laboratory, DNA in amniotic fluid is compared with the father’s collected DNA. This method has been found to be risky.
When a paternity dispute about any individual arises, it can be scientifically proven by paternity tests. The advancement of Biotechnology and laboratories makes it possible.
References
1. “DNA Test & Genetic Testing.” Cleveland Clinic, 21 May 2022, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/23065-dna-test–genetic-testing. Accessed 26 Sept. 2023.
2. U.C. Davis Law Review Volume: 22 Issue: 2 Dated: (Winter 1989) Pages: 609-651
3. Chakraborty, R, et al. “Exclusion of Paternity: The Current State of the Art.” American Journal of Human Genetics, vol. 26, no. 4, 1974, pp. 477-488, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1762594/. Accessed 26 Sept. 2023.
Author: Achuth B S
Edited: Ajmal Aseem
Published: 27 September 2023
Updated:
Graduated from the University of Kerala with B.Sc. Botany and Biotechnology. M.Sc. Biotechnology from the University of Kerala. Attended certificate course in Artificial Intelligence for Everyone from Deeplearning.AI, Influenza Prevention and Control from World Health Organization. Attended workshops related to Bioinformatics at the University of Kerala. 3 years of experience in website management. Experience in WordPress, Blogger, Google Analytics, and Google Search Console.
