HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE AND

NEUROENDOCRINE FUNCTIONS

BIOL 459
TWIN CONCEPTION,FORMATION AND
DEVELOPMENT

PRESENTED BY

ADAMS A. SADIK
KODUA BOATENG-ISAAC
ASIEDU SANDRA
OSEI ROBERT
 OBJECTIVES
• Important definitions

• Types of twins

• Factors affecting twin birth

• Defects and complications of twin birth

 INTRODUCTION
• Twins are one of the many mysteries, joys and
wonders of pregnancy .Although science is very
advanced and medically equipped to deal with
them, it seems as though having twins still so
much mysteries for expecting families and even
the twins themselves.
• Until the late 1970s, little was known about
embryogenesis of twins. Averil Clegg and Ann
Woollett(1983) were the first embryogenesist
who elucidated embryogeny of twins.
 DEFINITIONS
• Multiple birth is the birth of two or more offsprings
at a time.
• A zygote is formed by the fusion of the two
reproductive sex cells
• Embryo is a young organism in the early stages of
development
• Fetus is a developing organism from about 8 weeks
of conception till birth
• Implantation is the process by which the embryo
attaches itself to the uterine wall (5-7days)
 DEFINITIONS CONT.
• Myogenesis is the formation of muscular tissues
during embryonic development
• Neurogenesis is the process by which neurons are
generated during embryonic development.
• Amnioncity and chorioncity: these define the
degree of separation and how the baby sac looks
• Zygosity is the degree of identity in the genome of
twins.
 STATISTICS
• About 1.9% of the world population are twins.
• Of this percentage, 92 % are fraternal
• 8% are identical
• 10% of births in Linha São Pedroa, tiny Brazilian
settlement which belongs to the city of Cândido
Godoi, this settlement has the highest incidence of
twins.
• 45 per 1000 births in Yoruba are twins
• There are also high incidence of twins in India and in
most Sub-Saharan African countries.
 TWIN TYPES
There are two main types of twins namely
• Fraternal twins(Dizygotic)
• Identical twins(Monozygotic)
Based on zygosity the above twin types are
further divided into ;
DIZYGOTIC
• Male-Female DZ
• Female DZ(sororal)
• Male DZ
 TWIN TYPES CONT.
MONOZYGOTIC
• Female MZ
• Male MZ
FERTILIZAION
IMPLANTATION
 DEVELOPMENT
• In monozygotic twins, after implantation
progenitor cells collapse into two halves with the
same and equal genetic material

• Two separate fetuses develop.

• In dizygotic twins, each zygote proceeds with the

development as a singleton embryo.
 DEVELOPMENT CONT.
WEEK 1-3:
• Formation of primitive streak
• Initiation of brain, spinal cord, heart and
gastrointestinal tract formation.
WEEK 4-5:
• Neurogenesis is underway
• Heart begins to beat
• Limb buds appear
• Organogenesis begins
 DEVELOPMENT CONT.
WEEK 6-8:
• Myogenesis and neurogenesis have progressed
to where the embryo is capable of motion.
• Eyes begin to form.
• Facial features begin to develop
• Hair forms along with all essential organs
• Embryo development ends at this stage and it’s
preceeded by fetal development.
 DEVELOPMENT CONT.
• Fetal development is marked by progression of
organogenesis, neurogenesis, myogenesis,
apoptosis etc.
 DEGREE OF SEPARATION
• It depends on if and when they split into two
zygotes.
• The timing of this separation determines on the
chorionicity and amniocity of the pregnancy.
 PREDISPOSING FACTORS
• Factors affecting monozygotic twinning are unknown.
• Dizygotic twin pregnancies are slightly more likely when the following factors
prevail

• The female should be;

 between 30-40 years

 greater than average height and weight

 previous twin bearer

Taking fertility drugs

 DELIVARY INTERVALS
• Twin pregnancies last for only 37 weeks (3
weeks lesser than full term pregnancy.)
80
70
60
50
1-15min
40 16-30min
30 31-45min
46-60min
20
>60 min
10
0
Delivary int.
 DEFECTS AND COMPLICATIONS
• VANISHING TWINS
Occurs when the “extra” fetus fails to develop,
disintegrates and “vanishes”
• COINJOINED TWINS
When a single zygote of MZ twins fail to separate
completely after day 12 following fertilisation.
Very severe when brain, heart and liver are
shared between twins.
 DEFECTS CONT.
• CHIMERISM
Some body parts come from their twin or mother
• PARASITIC TWINS
The under developed fetus (parasite) becomes
indistinguishable part of the other and causes
problems
• LOW BIRTH WEIGHT
The greater likelihood of prematurity is more
commonly associated with multiple pregnancies.
 DEFECTS CONT.
• TWIN TO TWIN TRANSFUSION SYNDROME
Predominant in MZ twins
Blood is diverted from the ‘donor’ twin to the
‘recipient’ twin
The donor becomes small and anaemic whilsts
the recipient becomes large and polycythermic.
This condition is detrimental to both twins
 CONCLUSION
• Despite the fact that twin bearing or the
expectation of bringing forth twins brings great
joy and it’s a dream of most families, it should be
noted that there are some predisposing factors
,complications and defects associated with twin
bearing.
Chang and Eng Bunker
THANK YOU.

BARKA.

CHORKORPUTIN.