Order from us for quality, customized work in due time of your choice.
The scientific article A Brief History of Twin Studies (2016) compiles the most interesting research on twins. First, the article describes how the phenomenon of eugenic studies occurred. Initially, eugenics is the science of improving the human race. The founder of eugenics is the English scientist Francis Galton who lived in the nineteenth century. Using a statistical approach, he analyzed many biographies of prominent people to find out how often they were related (Than, 2016).
The frequencies obtained were much higher than would be expected for a random distribution. Hence the idea of an inheritance of talent and genius emerged. Galton proceeded that if breeders can easily create new breeds with better qualities, it is possible and necessary to improve the human population. The emergence of eugenics was not difficult to predict since twins were always of particular interest to researchers.
The article tells the reader that science would never have concluded that some mental illnesses and eating disorders were heritable without the study of twins. In addition, obesity has also been shown to be heritable and equally dangerous for both twins. (Than, 2016). Studies cited in the article show that twins gain about the same amount of weight. Regarding sexual orientation, the articles author claims that it is shaped by a complex combination of genetic and external factors, such as social environment (Than, 2016). Although researchers cannot yet give a precise answer to orientation formation, studies of twins contribute to the results by describing the influence of heredity on this factor.
Regarding the intellectual ability of twins, research indicates that twins are similar in this area as well. However, the environment can significantly impact this indicator, shaping childrens attitudes towards learning. Finally, the article discusses twins who were separated as children. According to research, such people tend to make similar life choices and go on the same path.
I believe that the study of twins is an essential tool for modern heredity science. Studying twins is the easiest way to determine whether a trait is shaped by the environment in which a person grows and develops or by hereditary. It also helps determine the proportion of type 1 or type 2 factors in the organisms disease or developmental characteristics. The fates of some twins are so unique that they are of interest to science themselves. For example, some twins who were separated in childhood marry women with the same name and give the same name to their children.
I think the findings of the research in the article are genuinely unique and very useful for science. For example, the fact that IQ levels are not primarily influenced by genes but by the environment should help to improve teaching methods. In other words, this research has proved that one cannot rely on ones natural intelligence to the full because it cannot be developed without a decent environment. The fact that obesity is hereditary and equally dangerous for both twins will allow more attention to heredity in dietetics. This means that if one twin is obese, the family and doctors need to pay close attention to the other twin. I also find the evidence that twins make similar choices in life interesting. To sum up, twin research is an up-and-coming area of science and a vast field for studying human genetics.
References
Than, K. (2016). A brief history of twin studies. Smithsonian. Web.
Order from us for quality, customized work in due time of your choice.