Dizygotic twinning often runs in families, and its frequency varies among ethnic groups, whereas monozygotic twinning rarely runs in families, and its frequency is quite constant among ethnic groups. These observations have been interpreted as evidence of a genetic basis for variation in dizygotic twinning but little genetic basis for variation in monozygotic twinning. Can you suggest a possible reason for these differences in the genetic tendencies toward dizygotic and monozygotic twinning?
Genetic Variation
Genetic variation refers to the variation in the genome sequences between individual organisms of a species. Individual differences or population differences can both be referred to as genetic variations. It is primarily caused by mutation, but other factors such as genetic drift and sexual reproduction also play a major role.
Quantitative Genetics
Quantitative genetics is the part of genetics that deals with the continuous trait, where the expression of various genes influences the phenotypes. Thus genes are expressed together to produce a trait with continuous variability. This is unlike the classical traits or qualitative traits, where each trait is controlled by the expression of a single or very few genes to produce a discontinuous variation.
Dizygotic twinning often runs in families, and its frequency varies among ethnic groups, whereas monozygotic twinning rarely runs in families, and its frequency is quite constant among ethnic groups. These observations have been interpreted as evidence of a genetic basis for variation in dizygotic twinning but little genetic basis for variation in monozygotic twinning. Can you suggest a possible reason for these differences in the genetic tendencies toward dizygotic and monozygotic twinning?
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