Why do identical twins look different?
Identical twins should actually look the same because they share the same genes. But sometimes the siblings differ from one another; mostly it is little things in the facial features or also slightly different body shapes. How does that come about and why do the twins sometimes look different?
Differences in genes can also be found in twins; however, these are small and sometimes develop only after the two egg cells have been separated.
The genes of the identical twins are minimally different
Identical twins evolved from a fertilized egg cell. These then partially become complete, so that two children arise who, however, have the same genetic make-up. However, the siblings are not exactly the same.
- One reason here is that not all genes are always "active". The chromosomes on which the genetic make-up are stored are present twice (e.g. B. the sex chromosomes XX in women and XY in men). A gene on one chromosome can have a different effect than its counterpart on the other chromosome.
- Certain activities can develop here, i.e. the gene on one chromosome can be deactivated, so that the predispositions on the other chromosome are more effective. The genes are switched off or on and this can have the effect that identical twins also look different.
- In addition, small changes in the genes can also occur during further cell division. Because during cell division small "reading errors" can occur in the embryos, i.e. the information of the genetic material is not always transmitted completely correctly.
The chromosomes are the carriers of the genetic make-up. They come diploid and haploid in the ...
Therefore, the siblings differ in small parts of the genes, so that about one in one of the two Part of a chromosome can be missing and so deviations in appearance and different characteristics result.
Do twins look different due to environmental influences?
- Identical twins are subject to different environmental influences in the course of their lives, which also influence their appearance to a certain extent. It often happens, for example, that the figure of the identical twins is shaped differently due to different diets.
- In addition, there are other environmental factors that can affect the appearance in different ways, such as high UV radiation, smoking or exercise and the consequences of taking medication.
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