DNA Genes and Chromosomes
This is a great video explaining DNA. It has simplistic slides that are easy to follow and understand. If you are new at DNA or just got your test results back and are wondering where to start with understanding the results, watch this video. If you are using DNA testing to find your birth family, this video lays out all the foundation of understanding DNA in a way that is easy to understand. "Genes, DNA, and Chromosomes are what make you who you are. They are a set of instructions given to you by our father and your mother. These instructions are in your cells and all living organisms are made up of cells. DNA, Genes, and Chromosomes make us what we are and as DNA testing progresses, these results will be more and more valuable to us and future generations.
There are many different types of cells. Nerve cells, skin cells, hair cells, and many others. They all have different forms, but they all have the same basic parts. The border of the cell contains a liquid called cytoplasm. The cyptoplasm contains a nucleus, and inside the nucleus are chromosomes. There are 23 pairs of chromosomes. Each cell contains a pair of each for a total of 46 chromosomes. There are 22 of these pairs that are the same in females and in males, they are called autosomes. The 23rd pair are the sex chromosomes and are different in males and females. The males have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. The females have 2 XX chromosomes. The chromosomes are long strands of DNA. DNA is shaped in a double helix like a bent ladder. The rungs of the ladder are composed of 4 bases, Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, and Cytosine. These are usually shown as A,T, G, and C. The structure that the DNA is in is a gene. The body reads the bases in the DNA strands like a recipe and translates it and builds proteins. It looks at the order of the sequences of bases and the length of the sequences.
Watch the video below about understanding DNA Genes and Chromosomes and share this page with anyone that is struggling to understand the basics of their DNA test results.