What Can We Learn from DNA Testing?

You’ve heard over and over again that DNA is what makes you unique and different from every other person on the planet, but what exactly does a DNA test tell you about yourself? At Endeavor DNA, we offer two types of single profile DNA testing to give you the best picture of your genetic profile. Here is an overview of the two single profile DNA tests we offer: autosomal and Y-STR profiles.

What is an autosomal profile?

An autosomal profile is taken from the autosomes of your DNA. Autosomes are the numbered chromosomes, rather than sex (X and Y) chromosomes. Humans have 22 pairs of autosomal chromosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes (XX in females and XY in males) for a total of 46 chromosomes.

Your autosomal DNA profile can tell you about your genetic makeup and recent ancestry. If you share sections of DNA with people from a particular country, your ancestors probably came from there, too. Your single profile can be compared to someone else’s profile to prove if you are biologically related. Areas of shared DNA indicate how closely related you are to someone else. The larger the areas of shared DNA you and other person have, the more closely related you are.

What is a Y-STR profile?

Y-STR profiles are taken from the Y chromosome and therefore can only be done on biological males. These profiles compare repeated sequences of DNA, just like autosomal profiles, but the test isolates the Y chromosome.

In addition, Y-STR profiles are used to confirm male lineage. Even if a sample of the alleged father’s DNA is not available, your Y-STR profile can be compared to one of the alleged father’s other male relatives. A match between Y-STR profiles will confirm a genetic relationship between you.

Which single profile DNA test is right for you?

If you are a biological female, you can only do an autosomal DNA test because you don’t have a Y chromosome (sorry, ladies). For males, how do you decide what type of DNA testing is right for you? That depends on why you want a DNA profile. If you are looking for an overview of your ancestry or proof of a genetic relationship with a biological female, an autosomal profile is the DNA test for you. If you are a biological male looking to prove a genetic relationship with another male, Y-STR is going to be your best choice.