The Pros And Cons Of Genetic Testing

One in every twenty people suffers from a genetic disorder or birth defect. Genetic testing is a test that is done to “either examine the function of a gene or determine the presence of a gene mutation” (Jones, 2011). More than 1,000 genetic tests are performed in laboratories. Genetic tests were done to diagnose a disease but now it can point out the risk of someone developing a disease, show the chances of a child inheriting the gene mutation, and indicate if medicine will lead to harm to the body (Jones, 2011). Most genetic tests are done for diagnosis at the early stage, so it could be treated in time, but other tests are done for preimplantation diagnosis, newborn screening, predictive genetic tests, genetic risk factor tests, personalized medicine, etc. Preimplantation diagnosis is the removal of a cell in an embryo to select one that lacks the disease. Newborn screening detects any diseases or disorders in a newborn. Predictive genetic tests reveal whether a healthy person has a risk

Two of them are direct DNA mutation analysis, and indirect DNA testing. In direct DNA mutation analysis, blood is usually drawn from a person. This test is only possible if a gene mutation is known. Chemicals are used to separate the DNA from the cell. Heat separates the strands, and enzymes called restriction enzymes are placed to cut the strands in specific places. A probe binds to a mutated part of the gene and the mutated part shows up on an x-ray. On the other hand, indirect DNA testing is done when the genetic mutation is unknown. The family history is needed for this test. There are regions called polymorphisms found on chromosomes. If it is found in family members with the disease, and not found in members without, then its is likely for the mutation to be around the polymorphism. The results will be compared with other family members with the same disease (Hunt & Carson-DeWitt,