Conjoined Twins Essay

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Conjoined twins, also known by the politically incorrect name of Siamese twins, occur very rarely. Of the estimated 211 million births that occur each year in the US, less than 1000 are conjoined twins. Through study, scientists have discovered plausible explanations for the origins of this genetic disorder, which causes the twins to be connected at certain points on the body. While the twins are attached at various places, they often also share the same organs, giving them a slim, but plausible, chance for survival. Some may think that conjoined twins are a fairly recent medical discovery; however, the exact opposite is actually true. They have been around for many, many centuries, and have been the source of many stories and legends. Conjoined …show more content…

There are basically two different ways which they can be formed. The first one includes the embryo splitting, and then stopping after a certain amount of time, usually 13-15 days after conception. The other way that scientists have discovered which allows conjoined twins to be formed is by separate embryos fusing together. The embryo splits off into two separate embryos and each begins to form on its own. Several days after conception, the separate embryos will then fuse themselves back together, causing the twins to be conjoined. It is not genetically clear why these mutations occur; however, it is clear that everything happens for a …show more content…

For example, the term “Siamese twins” was coined by brothers, Chang and Eng Bunker. These two were born in Thailand, formerly Siam, in 1811, hence the name “Siamese.” The twins grew to be teens, left their home country, and decided to venture and travel the world with the Barnum and Bailey Circus, soon to become internationally famous. Eventually, they settled in the United States, married two sisters, had almost two dozen children, and lived to be 63. Besides the famous Bunker brothers, there have also been many other paintings and legends of other conjoined twins. St. Augustine of Hippo, in his book City of God, wrote of a “monstrous race of men.” He said, “Some years ago, quite within my own memory, a man was born in the East, double in his upper, but single in his lower half— having two heads, two chests, four hands, but one body and two feet like an ordinary man; and he lived so long that many had an opportunity of seeing him.” During his time, there was no way of explaining the cause of this and so it was deemed abnormal. St. Augustine, and the people of his time, saw abnormalities as problematic; and therefore rejected people who were “different” than themselves. Nowadays, people who have deformities are accepted into the mainstream, except

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