What Have We Learned From Twin Studies? Through studying twin pairs we identified the first gene that influences both mammographic density (the amount of white areas on a mammogram) and risk of breast cancer, called LSP1. His team found monozygotic (identical) twins were highly similar for mammographic density, which predicts future risk of breast cancer.
What Were The Findings Of The Minnesota Study Of Twins Reared Apart? The research team found that identical twins who are reared apart had the same chance of being similar as twins who were raised together. Bouchard and his colleagues concluded that genetic factors have a large influence on behavioral habits demonstrating the influence of
What Do Twin Studies Tell Us? Twin studies allow researchers to examine the overall role of genes in the development of a trait or disorder. Comparisons between monozygotic (MZ or identical) twins and dizygotic (DZ or fraternal) twins are conducted to evaluate the degree of genetic and environmental influence on a specific trait. What do