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Can a DNA test determine if twins are identical or fraternal?

April 26, 2017determine dna test fraternal identical twins

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Can a DNA test determine if twins are identical or fraternal?

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Yes. Many people who have twins or are twins want to know whether they are identical — whether for medical purposes or just out of curiosity. The twin zygosity DNA test compares the DNA profiles of a set of twins, to see if they are indeed identical twins. Identical twins (called monozygotic twins) originate from the fertilization of one egg by one sperm, so they share the same DNA profiles. Fraternal twins (called dizygotic twins) originate from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two separate sperm, so their DNA profiles are not the same. Instead, their DNA profiles show the similarities that any two siblings born at different times have.