Twins are siblings carried together in the womb and born at the same time. Similarities and differences between twins can be used to answer questions about the role genes and the environment play in the development of traits such as personality, intelligence, and susceptibility to disease. While results from any single pair of twins cannot provide conclusive answers to such questions, the study of large numbers of twin pairs allows researchers to draw conclusions about inheritance with a significant degree of confidence.
Conclusion
Twin studies provide a unique approach to investigating the determinants of a disease or condition. A single twin study cannot absolutely determine the importance of genetic or environmental factors. However, the twin study method, in combination with other approaches, can be a powerful tool for unraveling the causes of disease.
Caroline M. Tanner
and Richard Robinson
Bibliography
Bouchard, T. J., et al. "The Sources of Human Psychological Differences: The Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart." Science 250 (1990): 223-228.
Segal, Nancy L. Entwined Lives: Twins and What They Tell Us about Human Behavior. New York: Plume, 2000.
Wright, Lawrence. Twins: And What They Tell Us about Who We Are. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1997.
Internet Resource
Minnesota Twin Family Study. University of Minnesota. <http://www.psych.umn.edu/psylabs/mtfs/default.htm>.
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