Difference Between Fraternal Twins and Identical Twins
Main difference
Offspring with a similar physical appearance that are born together are said to be twins. Twins are of various types and types depending on the process of formation and fertilization of the zygote. The fusion of female eggs with male sperm is called fertilization. As a result of fertilization, a zygote is formed inside the mother’s uterus, which later develops into an embryo, and after the completion of the 9-month gestation period, the offspring (boy) is born. Fraternal twins and identical twins are totally different from each other in their genetic and zygotic makeup. As for fraternal twins, two sperm fuse with two different eggs at the same time, forming two zygotes at the same time. That is why they are also called dizygotic. On the other hand,
Comparison chart
| Twins | Identical twins | |
| About | Fraternal twins are the type of twins that develop due to the fusion of two sperm with two different eggs forming two different zygotes at the same time. | Identical twins are the type of twins that develop due to the division of the zygote after fertilization, resulting in two embryos. An egg cell fuses with a sperm cell, but then splits into two. |
| genetic makeup | Fraternal twins have a different genetic makeup than other siblings. | Identical twins also have a kind of genetic makeup, but there may be some minor changes and fluctuations. |
| Appearance | Fraternal twins do not look exactly the same as each other physically and have variations and differences in their appearance. | As the name describes a lot about the appearance of the offspring. Usually, identical twins have a similar type of appearance, they look exactly alike, and they have no particular differences. But the difference may be due to various factors, etc. |
| Gender | Fraternal twins can possess a similar and different gender as well. Usually the gender is different. | The gender of identical twins is always the same. |
| Probability | The possibility of fraternal twins varies from country to country and depends on the geographic area. Two-thirds of all twins in the world as fraternal twins. | One third of all twins in the world are identical twins. He is quite short compared to fraternal twins. No particular influence or difference based on geographic area. |
| reasons | Because the medicine is administered to increase fertility, a mutation in the genes, hereditary factor, etc. | There is no logical reason or cause so far regarding the birth of identical twins. |
| Blood type | The blood group of the twins can be the same and different in both. | The blood group of identical twins is always the same as that formed from a single zygote. |
What are fraternal twins?
Fraternal twins are the type of twins that are mostly found all over the world. Fraternal twins make up more than two-thirds of the total world population of twins. Twins are babies born together at the same time. There may be a difference of minutes or hours, but not more than that. Many people around the world only consider babies who are totally similar in physical appearance to be twins, which is totally a misconception. Fraternal twins are the type of twins that possess a totally different physical appearance and even a different gender. Fraternal twins can also have variations in their genotypes. Fraternal twins are born as a result of two different sperm cells fusing with two different eggs at the same time forming two different types of zygote. In normal cases, the fertilization of an egg cell (female cell) and a sperm cell (male cell) results in the formation of a single zygote which then develops into an embryo and then a baby. In the case of fraternal twins, two different sperm fuse with two different eggs at the same time and start to form two zygotes. This is why fraternal twins are known as ‘dizygotic’ as they possess two different zygotes at the same time when they are in the developmental stages. Later, these zygotes develop separately into an embryo and complete the gestation period before giving birth to offspring. This is why fraternal twins are known as ‘dizygotic’ as they possess two different zygotes at the same time when they are in the developmental stages. Later, these zygotes develop separately into an embryo and complete the gestation period before giving birth to offspring. This is why fraternal twins are known as ‘dizygotic’ as they possess two different zygotes at the same time when they are in the developmental stages. Later, these zygotes develop separately into an embryo and complete the gestation period before giving birth to offspring. these zygotes develop separately into an embryo and complete the gestation period before giving birth to offspring. This is why fraternal twins are known as ‘dizygotic’ as they possess two different zygotes at the same time when they are in the developmental stages. Later, these zygotes develop separately into an embryo and complete the gestation period before giving birth to offspring. these zygotes develop separately into an embryo and complete the gestation period before giving birth to offspring. This is why fraternal twins are known as ‘dizygotic’ as they possess two different zygotes at the same time when they are in the developmental stages. Later, these zygotes develop separately into an embryo and complete the gestation period before giving birth to offspring.
What are identical twins?
Identical twins are the most famous and rare type of twins found all over the world without any influence of geographical area. Approximately one-third of the world’s twin population consists of identical twins. As the name clearly indicates, these twins are totally identical in terms of their physical appearance and have the same type of genotype. Although there could be minor differences in their physical appearance and that could be due to various factors like environment etc. In the case of identical twins, there is no fusion of two eggs with two different sperm, while one sperm fuses a single egg. That egg which after fusion and the formation of a zygote divides into two equal portions, from which each part of the zygote develops into two different embryos.
Fraternal Twins vs. Identical Twins
- Fraternal twins are formed due to the fusion of two different sperm with two different eggs at the same time.
- Identical twins are formed due to the division of the fertilized egg in two, forming two separate embryos.
- Fraternal twins have a different genotype and are similar in physical appearance but not identical.
- Identical twins are similar in genotype and physical appearance.
- Fraternal twins can have similar or different blood groups.
- Identical twins always have the same blood group.