Identical twin

Identical twins or monozygotic twins are twins who developed from one zygote, which splits and forms two embryos. This means that they share 100% of their genetic material and are always of the same sex. Identical twins are a fascinating topic in the field of genetics and developmental biology, and they have been the subject of numerous scientific studies and popular interest.

Development

Identical twins occur when a single egg is fertilized to form one zygote (hence, "monozygotic") which then divides into two separate embryos. The two embryos develop into two, independent fetuses. This split can occur at any stage up to nine days after fertilization and its timing is critical to the way the placenta(s) and amniotic sac(s) are formed.

Genetics

Because identical twins come from a single fertilized egg, they have the same genome. This means they share all of their genes and are always the same sex. However, they are not completely identical. Due to differences in their environments and the random nature of genetic recombination, identical twins may not have exactly the same number of copies of each gene.

Health

Identical twins can have different health outcomes. For example, if one twin develops a genetic disease like cancer, the other twin has a higher risk of developing the same disease. However, the risk is not 100%, indicating that other factors besides genetics also play a role in disease development.

Research

Identical twins are a valuable resource for scientific research. They allow researchers to study the effects of environment on various characteristics, since any differences between the twins can be attributed to environmental factors rather than genetics.

See also

• Fraternal twin
• Twin study
• Twin
• Zygote

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