>
> ---------------
> To the List Members...
>
> Can anyone please explain to a bewildered person (me) in simple terms how
> it is possible through DNA testing to find the birth mother of an
> individual when virtually nothing is known about the mother, including her
> nationality or country where she resides.
>
DNA testing is used by matching the DNA of two people .. the closer the
relationship the closer the DNA bands match. Identical twins will have
an identical pattern. Children & Parents have similar patterns - with
differnt sections matching one parent or the others pattern.
That is how it is used to confirm maternity/paternity.
So if a stranger walked in and said she was your mother - DNA testing
could be used to confirm/refute that to within 99+% confidence levels
if you both donated blood to test.
Having only one person's blood - the only way to "find" a match is
if by chance the other person also had DNA work done and it was stored in
a database somewhere (like FBI fingerprint databases can be searched).
I don't know if any do - but iff an adoption registry stored DNA tests
and the birth mother had her results stored there ... then the adoptee's
could be searched ? But i've never heard of this being done...
But since - like fingerprints - most of us don't have our DNA patterns in
a database anywhere ... its highly unlikely to "find" another person.
Hope this anwers your question a little ...
donna
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- Donna Bassolino-Klimas, Ph.D.
Bristol Myers Squibb Pharma. Res. Inst.
Department of Macromolecular Structure
P.O. Box 4000 Room H3812
Princeton, N.J. 08543 4000
** New phone # at Hopewell Facility
(609) 818 - 4413
INTERNET: [log in to unmask]
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