How would and wouldn't this be possible?
2006-12-19 03:51:21 · 18 answers · asked by dooze bag 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
No. Going by that premise, every child a man and woman have together would look exactly the same. There is sufficient genetic variation in each successive generation that no two children would be identical.
The only way to have identical twins is for a fertilized egg (fertilized by only one sperm) splits into two zygotes.
Because the two twin sisters would have separate eggs, each fertilized by separate sperm, they could not be identical.
They could however look very very similar.
2006-12-19 03:52:59 · answer #1 · answered by Mr 51 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Probably not. There are around 30,000 different genes that make up the human genome so even if you are looking at the offspring of twins & twins genetically speaking there are just too many genetic variables. Statistically one is probably more likely to get struck by lightening and hit the lottery than for the offspring of two different couples to be identical genetically.
Take a look at Mendel's Law's of Segregation and Independent Assortment as a basis for understanding. I hope that you can find someone who is willing to do the math to determine the exact probability. I wouldn't say that it is impossible though.
2006-12-19 04:14:38 · answer #2 · answered by jestedu 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Identical, no, similar, maybe. One child may take after one of the mother's parents and one may take after one of the father's parents, or vice versa, or other relatives, or combinations, etc. Even if this was planned to every single detail (ovulation, intercourse, mother's health/habits etc.) pre-conception, it's unlikely they will be identical as the children did not share an ovum and have identical chromosomes.
They can be no more likely to be identical than single birth siblings! One couple could have a boy and the other could have fraternal twins, or is it likely that since both parents are twins that both couples will have identical quadruplets? No.
2006-12-19 04:20:02 · answer #3 · answered by youngwahm 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They would be as similar as two brothers or two sisters or a brother and a sister. Identical twins do have the same DNA, so the two sets of twins having a baby, each, would be the same thing as one set of parents having two kids. (not twins)
2006-12-20 15:03:02 · answer #4 · answered by sjstalost 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Simply put, No the children would not be identical.
This is because the properties of DNA. The offspring of the two sets of identical twins would infact share DNA (because identical twins share DNA) however DNA alone does not express itself in the same way. Each strand of DNA has a different phenotype, the phenotype of the DNA is property that expresses the DNA.
This can best be seen in fingerprints. Although identical twins share the same genotype(DNA) their phenotype differs, which is what causes the difference in fingerprints(as well as other noticable differences)
2006-12-19 04:05:23 · answer #5 · answered by acidrecruit 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
identical twins are monozygotic (from the same egg) and have the same DNA. However, they do not look exactly identical. If a female set of identical twins married a male set of identical twins their children would genetically be brothers/sisters. (Emotionally/etc they would be cousins.)
2006-12-19 05:26:05 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No.
Every twin carries two versions of each gene. Though the twins carry identical copies, when they have children only one of the two comes from the mother, and one from the father. This gives four possible combinations for every genotype, all different.
There are millions of genes, so when you scale this up to the whole genome the potential variability is enormous.
2006-12-19 04:38:15 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because of genetics it is possible for the children to be somewhat the same, but not likely. The boys would have some of their father's characteristics and girls as well, but they would vary somewhat, unless of course they both had twins again, but again you get back to the genetics of it. Even twins are born different or don't always look or act the same.
2006-12-19 03:56:49 · answer #8 · answered by golden rider 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No.
There are subtle differences in a twins DNA compared to the other twin. They may look exactly the same, but genetically they are different. The children would inherit some of the parents traits and traits of prior generations. Remember, the child still carries genes that came from their grandparents.....
2006-12-19 05:19:06 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
No, because identical twins aren't caused by genetics. You don't carry a geene to make identical twins. The cells of a fertilized embryo split apart after fertiilization and instead of one embryo, you have two.
2006-12-19 03:54:07 · answer #10 · answered by Ty Cobb 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋