23Andme Genetic Testing Service
Modern medical science has produced a massive number of incredible discoveries over the last couple of decades, but all of them are outshined by the fact anyone with a little spare cash can now have their genetic profile mapped out in as little as 6-8 weeks by doing nothing more than producing a small vial full of their own saliva. After spending decades as nothing more than a science fiction dream and years as a procedure only available for the wealthiest of individuals, genetic mapping has gone mainstream, and you and I are poised to reap the benefits.
One of the most popular and well-known personal genome mapping services on the market today is the 23andme genetic testing service. Take a minute to read up on 23andme and to discover why it represents such an incredible advance in medical science.
The Procedure
It's easy to hear the words "personal genetic mapping" and assume it's a complicated procedure that can only be performed by the most technically minded of individuals. But it doesn't take more than a quick second reviewing the company's materials to understand the 23andme's service was designed from the ground up with the amateur in mind. Overall, the test and analysis are simple, unobtrusive, and highly intuitive.
Here's the fool-proof procedure for 23andme's test:
1. Purchase the 23andme kit from their website.
2. When the kit arrives, open it up and remove the small sample collection tube included within. Take the sample collection tube and spit into it until it's full. Don't worry, the tube is small, it has a funnel at the top, and this whole procedure will take less than a minute.
3. Seal the sample collection tube and send it back to the lab. The lab will then use the DNA found within your saliva to map out your genetic code.
4. Finally, within 6-8 weeks of receiving your materials, the you'll get to see your results on your own private page on their website. This page is secure and safe and your data is treated with the utmost of privacy. And while the company claims you will need to wait 6-8 weeks to get your results, many users report receiving their results in as little as 2 weeks.
And that's it! You won't need to go into any special laboratory to provide a DNA sample since you produce your sample at home. You won't need to give blood or provide anything uncomfortable or painful - all you need to do is spit in a tube. You won't need to wait a year to get your results; most people will get their results within a year.
But How Does the 23andme Genetic Testing Service Work?
This is actually pretty neat. The DNA in your sample is actually taken from cheek cells that naturally exist within your saliva. 23andme extracts these cells, then they extract the DNA from those cells, and then they copy that DNA multiple times, all in order to produce enough DNA to use to properly map out your genotype.
The rest of the 23andme process is pretty technical. The company's lab cuts up your DNA and then places these DNA slices on small glass slides that have millions of probes on them. These probes then flash a specific color, which indicates which potential genes are present within your genotype.
Cool, huh?
Now, it's worth noting that 23andme's service doesn't map out each and every last corner of your DNA. Instead the company focuses on those sequences considered most important, which are those sequences corresponding with actionable data that most people are interested in receiving. Your DNA is filled with an endless amount of data, but most of it isn't particularly important or relevant for the average person's day-to-day life, so the data provided by the 23andme genetic testing service covers all the bases you could possibly care about.
Is the 23andme Analysis Accurate?
Overall, yes.
The equipment and procedures used by the 23andme's lab will be able to identify the vast majority of your genetic data with a 98% success rate. In case you were wondering, this is highly accurate, and ensures you can rely on the data you receive from your test.
There are, however, a few points of data which 23andme admits they map out with a noticeably lower accuracy rate. These bits of genetic data are obscured due to biological limitations and not equipment deficiencies. Acknowledging their current inability to produce data on these markers with a high degree of accuracy, the 23andme results will include information on them within the raw data of your mapping, and they will use this data to help improve their tests for the future, but they won't use this data to reach any particular conclusions about your genetic standing on your actual report.
This news may dismay or discourage some people, but rather than thinking about the limitations of the technology, it's better to focus on this: 23andme is such a reputable company that they won't try and provide you with information whose accuracy they don't feel at least 98% sure of.
Finally, before you work with the 23andme genetic testing service it's important to remember that this company can't actually diagnose you with any conditions, due to a combination of legal and technological reasons. Instead, they can simply provide you with the raw data they accumulated and they can suggest interpretations of that data based on indications from the most recent research. And remember- a potential genetic predisposition towards a condition does NOT guarantee you will develop that condition.
Is the 23andme Genetic Testing Service Worth Buying?
In a nutshell- yes.
At a very low cost, the 23andme genetic testing service provides you with incredibly useful and important data that can positively, and accurately, provide a blueprint for how you will handle your health and wellness in the future. While the 23andme genetic testing service may not be perfect, and while the 23andme genetic testing service won't be able to actually diagnose you with any conditions, modern genetic mapping still offers one of the best forms of preventative data gathering the health world has to offer.
To learn more about this quickly growing company, visit this 23andme review and get a even more detailed explanation of this service. Follow the link and start your path of discovery.
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