Twin study

A twin study is like playing a game with two people who look almost exactly the same. Imagine you and your friend are playing with dolls, and you both have dolls that look exactly the same. You want to learn about how the dolls act when they are put in different situations.

Scientists use twins to learn about how genes and the environment affect how people act and think. There are two types of twins: identical and fraternal. Identical twins come from one fertilized egg that splits into two, making two babies that look exactly the same. Fraternal twins come from two different fertilized eggs and can look the same or different.

Scientists study identical twins to learn about the influence of genes on things like height, hair color, and even intelligence. They look at fraternal twins to understand how the environment around them, such as where they grew up or what they eat, affects their behavior.

Scientists create twin studies to compare how identical twins and fraternal twins react in certain situations, such as taking tests or trying new foods. By comparing these two sets of twins, scientists can find out if genes or the environment have a little, a lot, or no effect on how people behave.