We live in a world today where information is at our fingertips and family ties are incredibly important.  The world is changing and growing all around us. More than ever, we need to be preserving our past and using it to grow into the future.  With modern technologies and knowledge, we can grasp all the history of ourselves as individuals. We are incredibly complex beings with detailed difference in each of our unique biological makeups. How does this shape who we are and how we see the world? How does this keep us healthy for generations to come? And how can we best honor the cultures that came before us? You can answer all these questions when you really delve into the patterns of our unique DNA.

DNA Testing

Centuries and centuries of humans existing on this earth has brought about many diverse cultural groups.  We are now in a unique situation where you can trace your heritage through your own DNA. Whether it be an online, mail-in program or DNA testing in Upstate New York, there are countless ways to discover your past through your own chromosomes.  
There are actually a few different forms of genetic testing, each of which can tell you about each side of your family.  Y chromosomes testing is only available to men, which makes sense because only men poses a Y chromosome.  This may be an effective way to figure if you are related to someone with the same last name as you. For the opposite sex, mitochondrial DNA testing can help discover information from the maternal line.  The last, and most comprehensive test is single nucleotide polymorphism testing. This is a way to discover a broad range of your DNA while comparing it to another DNA in the database. This can be a slightly less solid approach because there are several gaps in our data.  However, you can still learn all sorts of new things about your family history with your own unique genes.
DNA testing works for so many things beyond simply discovering your past.  You can also begin to diagnose if you have any genetic mutations or any recessive carriers for genetic disease.  This information can also aid in forensics and the law. Those television shows that scour crime scenes for DNA weren’t joking around — that really is how the catch criminals at times!  

America – Welcoming Immigrants from Everywhere

Now, the history of America is a rich one.  We have a reputation of welcoming and inviting people from all over the world.  As the big melting pot that we are, it is likely that you have ties to many various places across the globe.  You could be the son of an Irish potato farmer or a daughter of corn seed suppliers in Australia.  There may be a lot of cultural groups that come together to make up you.
The history of the world spans for thousands and thousands of years while America has only been around for 250 years.  We are absolute babies when it comes to the rich historical culture of the world. So, you can enjoy the rich history of your ancestors.  A lot of the values that govern our lives are based in traditions. You can enjoy the traditions of cultures all over the world, especially when you know your descended from this rich culture.  It is also clear how many of these different ideals are present in American. There is history behind surfing lessons in Waikiki, HI that are equally as rich and diverse as the customs in Baltimore, MD.  

Eliminating Prejudice

It is obvious that our country is diverse and worthy of celebration; however, we live in a time where some are not as keen to admit this.  A lot of fear and apprehension has grown around people who seem different from us. We almost take pride in being 100% American, when such a thing doesn’t exist.  And this phenomenon continues throughout the world. Everyone is incredibly proud of their country, which is understandable.
During a recent experiment, around 65 individuals volunteered to take a DNA test to find their different ethnicities.  So many participants came into the study with an expectation that they would be very true to their country or their idea of where they were from.  The results were surprising for many.  Even individuals who had been living in the same place their whole life had history and heritage from all over the world.  Figuring your full background can open your eyes beyond your back door and help bring all cultures together.

Health Concerns

There are also many important things our DNA can teach us about our health.  There are many reasons to consider testing your chromosomes.  One of the main reasons is to check for genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis or hemophilia.  Some diseases may be obvious upon birth, but others can hide within your genetic code. This brings us to our second reason for testing: checking if you are a carrier for anything.  Most genetic diseases are recessive traits. This means that even if you remain unaffected, you could carry the DNA of that disease, but it gets overrun by the dominant trait. So even if you are perfectly healthy, there are chances your future children may not be.  Another reason to test your DNA would be if you are feeling ill or if you are confused/concerned about how certain medications might affect you.
 

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