DNA Maternal Ancestry Tests
What’s your DNA story? Trace your roots & discover new details about your family history on your mother’s side.
- Trace your direct maternal lineage with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing
- Access our extensive databases to match your DNA to populations around the world, find long-lost relatives, discover ancient origins & compare against famous people
- Both men and women can take this test
Description
This DNA test sequences your maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), allowing you to trace the ancestry of your direct maternal lineage (your mother’s, mother’s, mother’s…maternal lineage).
The mtDNA contains three regions: HVR1, HVR2, and Coding (more information in the genetics section). Testing the HVR1 and HVR2 regions will allow you to make use of all of the search and analysis features of the database. Testing all three regions of the mtDNA is required to confirm your mtDNA haplogroup and subclade.
Chose from the following options:
- Standard Test: HVR1 sequence. This is often all that is required to achieve an adequate resolution.
- Advanced Test: HVR1 + HVR2 sequence
- Premium Test: The full mtDNA genome sequence (HVR1 + HVR2 + Coding Region). This provides the highest resolution.
What is mtDNA?
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is found in the mitochondria of human cells. Each cell can contain several mitochondria, and each mitochondrion contains dozens of copies of mtDNA. So in every cell there can be thousands of copies of mtDNA. This is different from nuclear DNA, since we only inherit two copies of the autosomal and sex chromosomes per cell.
All of us inherit our mtDNA from only our mothers. This mtDNA essentially remains unchanged through the maternal line, providing an incredibly useful way to trace maternal ancestry.
What is mtDNA Sequencing?
The circular mitochondrial genome has three regions – two small hypervariable (HVR) regions and a large coding region. It is possible to sequence just the HVR1 region, both hypervariable regions (HVR1 and HVR2), or the complete mitochondrial genome (HVR1, HVR2 and the coding region).
The hypervariable regions comprise approximately 1100 bases of the mtDNA genome. Most of the variation in the mtDNA occurs in these regions. If two people have a perfect match at their HVR1 and HVR2 regions, further analysis of the much larger coding region can provide a higher stringency comparison and further resolution. The coding region covers the remainder of the mitochondrial genome and the complete mitochondrial genome is 16,569 base pairs.
Three Easy Steps
Get Your Kit
Receive Your Results
Begin Your Journey
Bring Your Ancestry Research to the Next Level
DNA Reunion Database
Famous DNA Database
DNA Haplogroups Database
Indigenous DNA Database
Related Products
Combo DNA Ancestry Test
DNA Paternal Ancestry Tests
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