5 things to know before trying a take-home genetics test that claims to reveal the secrets of your DNA

Today, it seems easy. First, sign up with a personal genetics company like AncestryDNA, 23andMe, or any one of the more than a dozen American companies that currently offers the service. Then, the procedure is pretty standard: Spit in a plastic tube. Pop it in the mail. Wait for your results.

But how much can the average person learn from one of these tests? Can you really find out if you'll develop a disease like breast cancer or whether or not you'll pass that disease on to your kids?

We chatted with Columbia University professor Dr. Robert Klitzman, a bioethicist and psychology professor and the author of the recent book "Am I My Genes?" to find out. And we learned that genes, not surprisingly, are complicated.