October 14, 2015

Genetic screening
What is it?
Genetic testing is a type of medical test that identifies
changes in chromosomes, genes, or proteins. If you have symptoms
of a disease that may be caused by genetic alterations, genetic
testing can reveal if you have the suspected disorder.

How is it done?
Genetic testing usually involves having a sample of your blood
or tissue taken. The sample will contain cells containing your DNA
and can be tested to find out whether you are carrying a particular
mutation and are at risk of developing a particular genetic condition.
In some cases, genetic testing can be carried out to see if a foetus is
likely to be born with a certain genetic condition by testing samples
of amniotic fluid or chorionic villi cells extracted from the mother's
womb using a needle.

Why is it done?
Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, allows the genetic
diagnosis of vulnerabilities to inherited diseases, and can also be
used to determine a child's parentage or in general a person's
ancestry or biological relationship between people. In addition to
studying chromosomes to the level of individual genes, genetic
testing in a broader sense includes biochemical tests for the
possible presence of genetic diseases, or mutant forms of genes
associated with increased risk of developing genetic disorders.
Genetic testing identifies changes in chromosomes, genes, or
proteins.