Definition
Monozygotic (MZ) twins occur when a single egg is fertilized by a single sperm to form one zygote and when the zygote splits within days after fertilization resulting in two separate embryos which usually share the same chromosomes. Rarely, delayed embryo division may form conjoined twins. MZ twins may have single or separate placentas and membranes, depending on the time during embryonic development when division occurs. MZ twins almost always have the same genetic constitution, as they are of the same sex, they possess identical blood groups, share physical characteristics, and may even have similar personalities but with different finger prints. Rate of MZ twin births is not related to genetic history of the family, in other words being MZ twin is not hereditary. MZ twins may also be created by embryo splitting in laboratory conditions.
Introduction
Since the beginning of the twentieth...
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Beşoluk, Ş. (2020). Monozygotic Twins. In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24612-3_778
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