NEW YORK -- According to Randy White, of the genetic research company Xenomics, nearly 100 billion cells die each day in the human body.

In fact, the DNA gets chopped up and disposed of by the body. What's now been discovered is that some of those DNA pieces pass through the kidneys and end up in your urine. It's called trans-renal DNA, and there's a reason people are excited about these DNA pieces.

"The sequences are unique, so we can tell where they came from," White said. "Maybe they came from a fetus or maybe they came from a tumor if you have cancer."

In other words, this could become the ultimate non-invasive test for everything from chromosome abnormalities in fetuses to cancer to even organ transplant rejection.

In prenatal testing, the developing fetus has very different DNA than the mother. Detecting Down syndrome or other genetic problems normally requires amniocentesis at about 15 weeks of pregnancy, but with urine DNA analysis, the fetal DNA can be found as early as six weeks.

"That means that we can give you an earlier diagnosis. The second thing that it means is that you get away from all the risks that are attendant to amniocentesis," White said. "You're not sticking a nine-inch needle into somebody's abdomen. You're not running the risk of infections or spontaneous abortions and so forth."

That means fetal genetic testing could be safe for younger women.

In transplantation, increasing amounts of the organ donor's DNA, which is distinct from the recipent's DNA, means that the organ is breaking down -- signaling early rejection.

When it comes to early cancer detection though, it's a little different.

"We are able to genotype that tumor and know what that signature is," White said. "We can now monitor your urine for regrowth of that tumor."