see humans are determind by their DNA each human had different types of DNA but twins has the same type of DNA genetic code besides the fiact that twins are in different bodies why are twin considered different human beings if they have the same genetic code?
2007-01-12 12:54:26 · 26 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
For the simple reason that at the level of 'personhood' they are different human beings.
DNA might determine a great deal of your biology, but we are not just biology alone. We are biological organisms in an environmental context. One gross example would be how twins would be different if one had lost a leg and the other had gotten a sex change.
Losing a leg and a sex change do not change one's biology, but certainly they would be different people for the different historys. And that is an essential thing- historicity. Each of us, no matter how similar at birth, have a different path through the world, and this path helps shape the 'what might be' into the 'what is'.
But identical DNA is an important thing if you wish to separate nature from nurture and this is why twin studies are so popular.
By the way, twins don't actually have identical DNA, just very very near identical. There are things that happen even in the early fetus developement that alter the picture a bit. This is why identical twins can look enough different for people familiar with them to tell them apart.
2007-01-12 13:01:27 · answer #1 · answered by xaviar_onasis 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
ok first of all twins can be fraternal or identical. i am assuming you know that fraternal twins DO NOT have the same genes because they are the result of two different egg cells and two different sperm calls so they are as different as though they were NOT born together...side note: guy and girl twins are ALWAYS fraternal no matter what or how alike they look.
but now i assume you are talking about indentical twins. identical twins DO have the same exact DNA but see once you are organisms of two different bodies, you will have different influences upon you..thats why a particularly interesting study is that of twins who were separated at birth. they grow up entirley different people. this is because of the long held debate between nature and nurture. i believe it is not inherent. genes can be EXPRESSED differently based on how the environment effects the person. the environment even if it were the same for both twins, they would have differences. there is psychology involved as well BIGTIME must not be forgotten. so there isnt a definite answer to nature vs.nurture...but twins cannot be called two different humans as they have two different bodies and two different brains and even their genes are expressed differently regardless of being the same.
2007-01-12 16:31:07 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Identical twins have identical DNA, so this is actually an interesting question. I guess it comes down to basic arithmetic that 1 and 1 is still 2, even if they are identical in all ways
2007-01-12 13:03:54 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they have there own personalities.....and they might look different 2 (if they are ferturnal twins) they are not the same person they think like individuals and they are individuals no matter what there DNA code says!!.....
2007-01-12 12:58:24 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you had two apples on the counter that were genetically identical in every way do you have one apple or two?
You wouldn't say I have ONE apple would you?
Do you refer to to two different people as Bob and John or do you first evaluate thier DNA differences? Having similar DNA makes them alike not the same, I think Grover taught "alike and the same" on Sesame Street.
2007-01-12 13:01:15 · answer #5 · answered by Tim H 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
even though identical twins share the same DNA , they are influenced by environmental factors as well. This causes them to be have different personal identities. one may become mentally ill while the other retains a reasonable amount of sanity. they might both be prone to develop such mental illness, but environment is key to their probabality for this to happen.
2007-01-13 06:48:08 · answer #6 · answered by cowboybabeeup 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are two brains. There was a story about conjoined female twins on Discovery. They had 2 arms, 2 legs, and 2 heads. They actually received 2 driver's licenses.
2007-01-12 12:57:46 · answer #7 · answered by Barkley Hound 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If they live separately are two different people. This will need to worked out before human cloning becomes popular.
But if they were siamese twins well then it gets hard.
This is going to keep me awake at night.
2007-01-12 13:10:38 · answer #8 · answered by roger a 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Genetically, identical twins are the same. However, they will often have different personalities and they do inhabitant separate bodies.
2007-01-12 12:56:57 · answer #9 · answered by Joy M 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you take two cutting off of a plant and grow them in two separate pots are they the same plant? No, they are two different yet genetically identical plants. Same deal with twins.
2007-01-12 12:58:22 · answer #10 · answered by rip snort 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋