blog 34

I think that I can make my topic about identical twins quite compelling to read by using interesting research involving identical twins.  Identical twins is a fairly common phenomenon so not a lot of people appreciate the science that can be centered around twins and the usefulness of this research in up-and-coming technology involving human cloning.  It’s interesting how identical twins can share identical DNA and inner structure while developing their own complete uniqueness. While most twins grow up in the same home environment, there are many circumstances that create differences in the children’s appearances, personalities, and interests. As the twins approach the teen years, they may even seek to establish dissimilar qualities in order to establish individual identities.                                                  A study conducted by a team of researchers at the Spanish National Cancer Center in Madrid concluded that, while identical twins are born with the same epigenome, their epigentic profiles begin to diverge as they age. The differences increase as twins live longer and spend more time apart. The scientists offered two theories to explain this phenomenon. First, that epigentic marks are removed randomly as people age. Secondly, environmental influences change the pattern of epigentic marks.  This makes the topic interesting and compelling because it shows a lot about the power of the human brain and it’s ability to adapt.  Research about twins is very important in ethical considerations in human cloning by presenting evidence that the clone will develop it’s own unique personality.