If you had told someone in the early 1800’s that every cell in your body contains something called DNA made of molecules called nucleotides (DNA) that determine every characteristic about you, from your height and eye color to whether or not you’ll get a certain disease or condition, they would think you were crazy. Today, most students learn about DNA in middle school biology.
DNA was first discovered by a German biochemist named Frederich Miescher in 1869, but its importance was not realized until 1953 (DNA). Genetic testing, “a type of medical test that identifies changes in chromosomes, genes, or proteins” (What is Genetic Testing?), however, was first done in the 1910s with ABO blood typing (O’Neil). Today, testing is used for determining paternity, determining a person’s chance of developing or passing on a genetic disorder, and to confirm or rule out a suspected genetic condition (What is genetic testing?).…