Genetic Mutations Co-joined Twins

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Abby and Brittney Discovery Interview with the family and the girls Discovery Interview with the family and the girls

Siamese twins The origin of the name: -In 1811, some of the first sets of Siamese twins were born. There names were Chang and Eng. They were born in the Siam. Because of there birth place, they were given the title Siamese Twins.

Facts -Siamese twins are formed from a single egg which almost develops into two separate balls of cells. Usually, each of the balls becomes an identical twin. In the case of the Siamese twins, the cells become “confused” where they are in the body. The cells actually join together causing a body part to be joined as the twins grow together. -The most common body parts joined include: the hip, chest, abdomen, and head. -If for some reason the babies are joined by a vital organ, surgery is rarely attempted. It is very risky for doctors to try and detach them because they risk the death of both children.

-The first successful separation was in Before then, it was common that Siamese twins would die during operation. -On average, 40% of conjoined twins survive birth. -On average, after birth, it is commonly known that 75% of the conjoined babies are either still born, or even die within the first twenty- four hours after birth.

How often does this happen -Although there are some cases of Siamese twins being born, there is a chance of one in 40,000 conceptions and roughly one in 200,000 live births. - In the United States, there is a lesser amount of joined twins being born than in China, Africa, and India.

Co-joined Animals

Two -headed cow born in Georgia Video Two-headed animals are said to exhibit "Polycephaly" This basically means that they have two heads. This is typically caused not by genetic factors but as an extreme version of conjoined twins. That is a single fertilized egg divides in the uterus but does not completely separate into identical twin, and instead duplicates only some body parts. A two-faced animal with a single head can also be produced by diprosopus ( a fetus with two faces)which caused a duplication of facial features. Most animals with these conditions have short lives but others can mature and live normal life spans. Diprosopus: Two-faced conjoined twins (incompletely separated identical twins). The twins have almost complete fusion of their bodies with one set of limbs. Part or all of the face is duplicated. The condition usually results in stillbirth.conjoined twins