Can DNA reveal what "races" you are made of ?

Question:

Can DNA reveal what "races" you are made of ?

I am half Italian, part Dutch, American Indian (Native American),
Hessian German of Revolutionary War period when the English used German Mercenaries, Irish, and who knows what else.?

Generally of European extraction >>> a "white boy" as a rough and crude description.

Can DNA be used to determine blood lines ?

Is there any other method to determine blood lines ?

Thanks,

dave

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: DNA on the Y chromosome can be used to trace your line in a rather general sort of way. It is mostly capable of linking you (or proving that you are NOT linked) to a particular family. It only works for Y chromosomes, which are passed from father to son practically intact, so it only works for males; a woman who wants to trace her line can get DNA from a blood-related male of the same surname (i.e., since I'm female, I'd have to get a DNA sample through my father or cousin who is the son of my father's brother, since I don't have an brothers).

Tracing a woman's ancestry is tougher; that has to be done through mitochondrial DNA (which can be done for a male as well if he is interested in his matrilineal DNA); that won't generally trace to a particular surname, since women historically haven't kept their birth names for many, many generations, but often CAN trace to a particular part of the world, so it has the potential in some senses to trace MUCH futher back.

Before you spend the bucks on this (it is NOT cheap), check with the DNA project to make sure that someone in your family hasn't already done this - if a brother or cousin has already traced your family name, then you'll get the same results.