Finding out who fathered a child matters legally for two main reasons. Parents need to know if a child counts as legitimate under the law. Plus, someone has to pay for raising that kid, and figuring out who created that child depends on who pays.
You hear about DNA all the time on TV shows where police gather evidence at crime scenes. DNA stands for Deoxyribo-Nucleric Acid, which exists inside every tiny cell making up your body. When babies form, they receive exactly 23 chromosomes from the mom's egg and another 23 from the dad's sperm, totaling 46 chromosomes per cell.
DNA testing compares the unique pattern of genetic material between people to see if they match. Scientists look at biological samples like blood, tissue, or hair to...