DNA - What are my roots?


What is DNA? I got a little baffled reading all the scientific information available, so I turned to the on-line GCSE school material to get a better insight into it. Basically DNA, Deoxyribonucleic acid is contained in our chromosomes, which can be found in the nucleus in most living cells. A gene is the unit of inheritance, and each chromosome may have several thousand genes, which carry the code that determine our physical characteristics, being a combination of both our parents.



The kit (right) includes full instructions, a saliva collection tube, and a prepaid envelope to send it back.



It costs a little under £90 but they do have special offers throughout the year – you do also need to have an Ancestry.com account.

Once the saliva sample has been taken and has been sent away it’s a waiting game – taking up to 8 weeks to get the results back. The ethnicity test covers, 9 regions in Africa; 31 regions in America; 4 regions in Asia; 117 Regions in Europe; 3 Regions in Pacific Islanders; and 4 Regions in West Asia.

According to Ancestry DNA – The Average British Person’s DNA is only 36% British. Using my results, my DNA story is as follows, Ireland/Scotland/Wales 45%; Europe West 40%; Great Britain 10%; Scandinavia 3% and Iberian Peninsula 2%. Europe West covers countries such as France, Belgium and Germany etc. I seem to have failed the Ancestry’s statement of being British!

Comparing my results with two other people that I know who undertook the DNA test, Mr John Jones results were Great Britain, Wales, West Midlands and Southern England 64%; Ireland/Scotland/Wales 30%; Europe West 4%; Scandinavia 2% and Europe South 1% and a friend who wants to remain anonymous whose results were far more interesting – Great Britain, Wales & the West Midlands and Southern England 66%; Ireland/Scotland/Wales 20%; Europe East 6%; Finland/Northwest Russia 2%; Europe South 2%; Europe West 2%; Scandinavia 1%; Caucasus 1% and Middle East 1%. Thank you both for allowing me to use your results for this article.

The results are presented in either a tabular or pie chart format, as shown.

What else do the results show from Ancestry? Ancestry will establish all the DNA matches that you may share with other users of the website. I discovered that I have 226 people that I am connected with who are 4th cousins or closer. It can be quite an exciting voyage of discovery ‘meeting’ these new relations.

If anyone is interested in carrying out a test, please get in touch.

Copyright – The Bay Magazine – June 2018

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