By Gibbes Hance
When learning more about DNA, one of the common concerns is the importance of DNA extraction and why it’s often necessary. When planning to understand the genetic cause of disease and develop diagnostics and drugs, you must extract DNA. It is also essential when conducting sequencing genomes, forensic science, detecting viruses and bacteria in the environment, and determining the paternity. One of the significant processes involved in DNA extraction is Sanger sequencing, which is based on detecting chain-termination nucleotides that DNA often incorporates. If you have been studying and wondering where DNA extraction can be used, you are in the right place. This article will explore common uses of DNA extraction.
- Paternity Tests
DNA extraction has helped determine the paternity of a child. This enables the parents in question to prove whether or not the person is the father to the child. If the DNA match from samples presented by the baby and the father, it demonstrates the paternity claims. If not, it disapproves.
- Ancestry Tracking
If you have been wondering about your ancestry or lineage, you can confirm this by conducting DNA extraction. From this test, you can understand your ancestors came from. In addition, DNA kits help a person know all the countries where their fore parents are from and any relatives living with some medical conditions. If you have a health condition, you can trace it to them and know how to cope with it or get the necessary treatment.
- Medical Tests
Many medical conditions will require DNA extraction, especially those involving genetic disorders. Common examples include Huntington’s disease, down syndrome, and cystic fibrosis. It’s easy to know if a person is a carrier of the disease or not.
- Forensics
DNA has been one of the critical components for many investigations. DNA extraction can be used from samples such as skin, blood, and hair, which the forensic scientist uses to determine if a person is a suspect or eliminate them as suspects. In most crimes, the criminals often leave traces of their DNA around, which helps the investigation. If the DNA match, it can mean the person was in the vicinity or prove a person is guilty.
- Hormones
Many hormones are vital for helping people grow and develop. With DNA extraction and through recombinant DNA technology. Some of the DNA extraction hormones Include human growth hormones and insulin for people with diabetes.
- Vaccination
Vaccines are beneficial in stopping and controlling diseases. Even though most DNA vaccines are not yet approved for use by people, there have shown excellent results in animal vaccines. For example, the vaccines for Hepatitis B have been developed explicitly due to DNA extraction.
- Genetic Engineering
You need to consult DNA extraction when conducting genetic engineering for both animals and plants. For the plants, you can extract, isolate and identify the wanted gene to replicate in successive generations of plants. On the other hand, DNA extraction helps transfer one animal’s DNA to another and in cloning animals.
In Summary!
It’s crucial to note that DNA extraction requires specific and up-to-date equipment for successful isolation, research, and extraction. Always look for labs with the right capabilities for examining RNA and DNA.
