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Twins with the same genes can have different traits

Even though identical (monozygotic) twins may have the exact same genetic make-up, it is possible that they can have different features from one another. This is thanks to differences in the womb (also known as “developmental noise”, where individuals can develop differences due to noise in signalling and signal interpretation) and differences in environments encountered after birth. In fact, the genes – albeit identical – can actually be expressed differently, thereby leading to very different drug reactions and susceptibilities to disease. This is one reason why one identical twin may suffer from a disease like Multiple Sclerosis while the other does not.


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