If you have watched the trailer of Judwaa 2 (and obviously Judwaa), have you wondered do twins behave like that? Here is what research has to say about the different types of twins. But before that read about 8 things Indians should STOP saying about twins.
Dizygotic/Fraternal Twins: It is one of the most common types of twins that you might have come across. These types of twins are caused when two eggs are fertilised by two different sperms at the same time. As the eggs are different, they are non-identical and hence, look and act different, just like siblings. The chances of fraternal twins can be passed down to the next generation from the mother.
Monozygotic/Identical Twins: Another common type of twins that you might think of is identical twins. In this case, one egg is fertilized but later splits into two during the initial phase of pregnancy. The exact cause of this is not known. As the genetic makeup is same because it is derived from the same egg, the twins are identical in nature.
Mirror Image Twins: Unlike identical twins, the egg splits post conception, but not late enough for conjoined twins to form. Around 1/4th of identical twins are mirror image twins. And as the name suggests, mirror image twins are like reflection, where the features appear asymmetrically -- that is, on opposite sides. For example, if one of the twins has a birthmark on the left side, then it might be present on the right side of the other. Mirror image twins have the same DNA.
Half Identical Twins: Also known as polar body twinning, it occurs when an egg splits before fertilization and later is fertilized by two different sperms. Hence, in this case, the twins will have the same genetic makeup from the mother but only half from the father. So it means they are only 75% identical to each other. As these type of twins share traits with identical twins and fraternal twins, they are known as half identical twins. Here are 5 myths about conceiving twin babies you need to know.
Superfetation: It is a rare phenomenon, where a woman gets pregnant during pregnancy. Although unlikely, it can happen. It is caused when a woman gets pregnant during one menstrual cycle and then, a second egg is released and fertilised making you pregnant when already pregnant within weeks apart.
Superfecundation: Just like superfetation, it is also a rare thing. In this case, two eggs are released during a menstrual cycle, however, both of the eggs are fertilised by sperms from a different father.
Conjoined twins/Siamese twins: These types of twins are joined at birth and are rare in occurrence (1 in 200,000 births). They are identical in nature as they are derived from one egg but have failed to divide fully. If you are planning to get pregnant with twins, then click on the link to know more.
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