KNOW YOUR HERITAGE: Dr Rick Kittles Breaks Down D N A
|
DNA is important for tracing ancestry because it’s like a record of the history of you as an individual, within your family, community, and within a particular region in the world.
|
|
Posted By: Jen Fad on May 26, 2012 Dr. Rick Kittles, a brilliant, forty five-year old geneticist, who serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine; division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Kittles also is the co-founder and Scientific Director of African Ancestry, Inc., a nine year-old, ancestry tracing company with a DNA database comprised of over 25,000 African DNA lineages. EBONY spoke with Dr. Kittles about what DNA is, and how it reveals the hidden past, and complexity of our African-American heritage. EBONY: We’ve all heard of DNA, but give us a thumbnail sketch of what it actually is. Rick Kittles: DNA [deoxyribonucleic acid] is the genetic material – the chemical that’s in every cell of our body, that’s important for coding different physical features and traits. You receive half of your DNA from your mother, and the other half comes from your father. DNA is very instrumental in terms of coding for things that make us human: skin color, hair texture, eye color, and physical features. But it also [shows] susceptibility to cancer, diabetes, and other diseases. DNA is important for tracing ancestry because it’s like a record of the history of you as an individual, within your family, community, and within a particular region in the world. We can use that information to trace where a person’s ancestry came from. We can go all the way back to when humanity started in Africa over 150,000 years ago, or we can look at a more recent window, like for instance, right before the slave trade. Those changes in the DNA are different than the older changes that occurred 150,000 years ago. EBONY: We know what DNA tells us. What doesn’t it tell us? RK: It’s not going to tell us if a person who just got accepted into Harvard is actually going to be able to graduate [laughs]. It doesn’t provide useful information for behavioral or psychological traits. Also, as it relates to overall health, DNA plays some role, but it’s not one hundred percent. There are certain changes in the DNA that increase your risk for cancer, but what also plays a very significant role is exercise and lifestyle; what we consider the environment. EBONY: As far as tracing our ancestry is concerned, are there specific types of DNA that links us back to Africa? RK: The one that’s really informative for African-Americans is mitochondrial DNA [mtDNA]. It’s passed on through women. Males receive it from their mothers, but they can’t pass it on to their kids. It represents the lineage of women in the family. We also look at the Y chromosome DNA, which is a history of the male lineage in the family. There are DNA patterns that are specific to Africans: For instance, there’s what we call a Y chromosome alu polymorphism [YAP] that is found just in West Africa, and is definitive for West African ancestry. But the most interesting thing is, when we look at most African-American men, upwards of thirty five percent of their Y chromosomes don’t go back to Africa; but to Europe! EBONY: That’s because of slavery; African women mating with European men… RK: That’s right. It’s really the behavior of slaveholders during slavery and afterwards … It’s what we call sex-biased gene flow. Of the genes from Europeans that came into the African-American population, the majority of them came from men. EBONY: In the series, Professor Gates concluded that virtually all ... http://www.ebony.com/search/KNOW+YOUR+HERI... If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
 |
Jen Fad
Nurse, Healthcare University of S Carolina class of 1994 Member Since August 2008 |
Comments
|
I'm planning on getting my done really soon. Hey what about you? Sunday, May 27th 2012 at 6:04PM |
|
This is really cool.
Thursday, July 12th 2012 at 10:25AM |
|
It is cool indeed.
Thursday, July 12th 2012 at 5:54PM |
More From This Author
Latest Blogs
 |
Food beyond flavor: The ethics, sensory science, and psychology we live byA thoughtfully arranged meal representing sustainability, sensory experience, and emotional comfort.
Introduction
Food is no longer just nourishment; it reflects our ethics, our biology, and ...more
Joel Savage • 49 Views • September 20th, 2026 |
 |
Why unhappy people treat others badly: The hidden psychology of painA photo of a lonely woman with an inner emotional struggle.
In life, one of the most confusing human experiences is encountering people who treat others harshly for no clear reason. You greet the ...more
Joel Savage • 72 Views • September 19th, 2026 |
 |
Your Trusted Wholesale Cabinetry Distributor in NC | Linecraft CabinetrySuccessful cabinetry projects rarely depend on one decision made at the showroom or job site. They are built through a series of choices involving product selection, specifications, purchasing, schedu ...more
LineCraft Cabinetry • 80 Views • September 18th, 2026 |
 |
Why Africa Has Never Won a World Cup: Deep Analysis & SolutionsPhoto: A scene of African footballers competing intensely against European players with determination and pursuit of World Cup glory.
African football has carried a paradox for decades. The con ...more
Joel Savage • 86 Views • September 18th, 2026 |
 |
My blog, Juskosave, has reached 25 million views today!I’m deeply grateful to every reader from every corner of the world who made this possible.
Your support, shares, and belief in independent journalism have built this global success.
Thank you from t ...more
Joel Savage • 95 Views • September 17th, 2026 |
Popular Blogs
 |
Divorce in America in 2009 – What’s love got to do, got to do with it?
Join Brother Marcus and the cast and the crew of the Brother Marcus Show live this Sunday evening on February 1, 2009 @ 8:00 p.m. for another hot topic in our community! “Divorce in America in 2009 ...more
Brother Marcus! • 75,421,961 Views • January 27th, 2009 |
 |
VISINE ALERT!!!Seemingly innocent medication such as Visine eyedrops are used by people to concoct a mixture with similar effects as a date-rape drug.
When mixed with alcohol and taken orally, the eyedrops can l ...more
Siebra Muhammad • 122,447 Views • May 23rd, 2009 |
 |
"Chain Hang Low" check out the real meaning of the Lyrics!Recently there is a new artist out of Saint Louis that goes by the name JIBBS. Jibbs debut single "Chain hang low" has a history that most people are not aware of. The particular nursery rhyme that th ...more
Tyhesha Judge-Fogle • 81,173 Views • November 9th, 2006 |
 |
HBCU Marketplace Gifts: Divine 9 Premium Fraternity / Sorority Playing CardsVendor: Charles Jones
Item Price: $20.00
Price Includes Shipping: Yes - Shipping Included
Item Description:
Pantheon Series - Divine 9 - Premium Playing Cards (choose Gold Series or Silve ...more
Hija Chang • 64,465 Views • December 2nd, 2018 |
