How is the DNA sample collected?
Anybody who might be worried about needles can relax, since the DNA test is easy, painless, and a blood sample is not required. The DNA sample itself is collected by brushing the inside of a person’s cheek with two or three swabs that are provided with the test kit. These swabs are kind of like cotton Q-tips, except that they have felt-like padding that detaches into a little vial after you use it to scrape some cheek cells out of your mouth. To see a picture of what the test kit actually looks like, take a look at this webpage at FamilyTreeDNA. To see photos of a fellow in the Dorsey Surname DNA Project taking the test, go to this webpage (which is the first page in a sequence of pages of photos).
