Legal mtDNA Comparison Test

A legal mtDNA comparison test from DNA Diagnostics Center is a valuable tool for determining whether individuals are biologically related through their mothers’ side of the family. The legal mtDNA comparison test directly compares your DNA with a possible relative’s DNA to verify if you are related via a maternal line. This is contrasted to the maternal lineage test, which determines your ancestral haplogroup based on your DNA alone.

The term mtDNA is short for mitochondrial DNA, a type of DNA that is found in the mitochondria, or energy-producing “powerhouses,” of the cells. Mitochondrial DNA is passed from a mother to her children, making it useful for tracing individuals’ maternal lineage. (While both sons and daughters inherit mtDNA from their mothers, only daughters can pass their mtDNA to their children.)

In a legal mtDNA comparison test, the tested parties’ mtDNA is sequenced (the order of the DNA molecules in their mtDNA is determined). These sequences are then compared to determine whether or not the individuals share the same maternal line. The mtDNA sequences of maternally related individuals will have predictable similarities.