DNA is organised into 46 chromosomes, 23 inherited from their
mother and 23 inherited from their father. One chromosome,
called the Y-chromosome, is only present in men and is
transmitted from a father to his son unchanged. Y-chromosome
testing involves the analysis of 17 genetic markers (called
STRs) on the Y chromosome to produce a YSTR profile. Cellmark's
Y-STR profiling is ISO accredited for relationship testing.
Common applications of the Y-chromosome test: 1. Genealogy: The
Y-chromosome test can be used to provide evidence linking
individuals to a common male line as they share the same Y-STR
profile, or it can provide proof that they are not related. This
type of test is often used in surname projects which involve
large groups of individuals with a common surname who are
interested in researching their ancestors. 2. Male relationship
testing: In cases where the alleged father is unavailable for
testing or deceased, a male can be tested against other
potential male relatives such as his uncles (his fat