# Interesting TV programme....



## drownedgirl (Nov 12, 2006)

Did anyone see the programme about identical twins on BBC1 last night? I must admit it was eye opening how much more similar the Chinese twins, separated at birth, were to each other, compared with how similar ones was to her adoptive sisters. And the experiments showing how many many personality aspects including risk taking, seem to be mostly genetically determined.

I am in the interesting position of knowing our DE twins' genetic half-siblings (my friend/donor's 2 children) and it makes me look again at the similarities and differences between them all. Our 1st child has the same genetic link to the twins (half-sibling) as my friends two children too, but also shares an upbringing with the twins.

While genes are not effective in isolation, the programme talked about how their expression can depend in part on childhood environment (a step further than the "epigenetics" discussion about how the womb effects gene expression)
it does seems from the research that genetics can determine a lot more than we might guess.

Fascinating.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/last-nights-television-the-secret-life-of-twins-bbc1br-bthe-art-of-dying-bbc4-1795597.html

There is the second episode on tonight. Episode 1 can eb watched again here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00n462v

/links


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