Genetics Reading!

GENETICS

Cheng & Eng by Dann Strauss

Tells about Cheng & Eng Bunker, conjoined twins or sometimes called ‘Siamese Twins’.

I bet you didn’t know they each married and fathered children!!! (It gets a little racy.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang_and_Eng_Bunker

This book is fiction but based on the true story of Cheng & Eng.  They were real men with real issues.  They were identical twins so they were formed from one egg and one sperm.  After the sex cells combined they began to divide and then at some point, rather than separate completely they stayed attached by a small bit of tissue.

FYI:  Alex Sink, candidate for Florida Governor is related to Cheng & Eng!!!

Types of Twins

There are IDENTICAL twins and FRATERNAL twins.  In identical twins, like Cheng and Eng Butler, the same egg/sperm separate (usually completely).  In fraternal twins, you have multiple eggs being fertilized by different sperm.  This is the same process in many mammals.  The kittens and puppies are formed by multiple eggs being released at the same time and each one being fertilized and implanted into the uterus.  Each offspring will likely have their own placenta and umbilical cord to obtain nutrients while they are developing.

The problem with conjoined twins is the amount of joined tissues.  Sometimes the babies share vital organs and separation results in the death of one child.  Imagine being the doctor or the parent when this happens!!!

These girls are 16 and their parents chose to keep Abby and Brittany together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkKWApOAG2g

Hassan and Hussein Benhaffaf- separated in a 14 hour operation! April 2010

http://articles.cnn.com/2010-04-08/world/uk.conjoined.twins_1_surgeons-pediatric-twins?_s=PM:WORLD

A TWIN website:

http://www.twinsworld.com/stats.shtml

My sister has twin boys and she joined a club called Mothers of Twins!!!

http://www.nomotc.org/

They often shared ideas and tips on keeping track of which one is which.  My nephews had to be color coded when they were little.  I knew Carsten wore BLUE and Tomas wore GREEN!!! Otherwise, it was impossible to tell them apart!

READING IS EXCITING!!!

This book is an interesting story about two men with a unique problem.  You have a chance to look into their world and imagine what it would be like to have your brother or sister with you wherever you go!!!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this!

Dr.Dunn