Conjoined Twins

2 Pages 394 Words

Conjoined Twins

Conjoined twins are one of the most interesting and intriguing marvels in the world. Researchers know how conjoined twins are formed, but cannot predict when this phenomenon is going to occur. Another phrase that the nation uses is Siamese twins. Most people do not refer to using this expression, because it is discriminating and was often used to describe freaks in the previous years. The phrase was founded by a famous pair of conjoined twins from Siam.
To fully understand conjoined twins we must understand how conjoined twins are formed and some of the factors that plays into how they are formed, the separate types of conjoined twins that have been classified, last but not least the different beliefs and principles that go into whether or not conjoined twins should be separated.
There is only one way conjoined twins are formed. Twins are formed when the fertilized egg also known as the zygote splits into two embryos. When the splitting of the embroyo does not occur, the embryo stay linked in a joined fetus. Sometimes the twins are connected by tissue or a part of the body. They may also share the same internal organs or have their own.
The twins are classified by which body parts are connected. There is about 11 different types of conjoined twins. Cephalopagus is when the upper half of the bodies is fused. They are two faces on the opposite sides of the head. Craniopagus is when the two skulls are fused. This happens in about only two percent of cases. Craniothorocapagus is when the head and chest are joined together. The circulatory system and organs they share are the heart, gastrointestinal tract, and brain. Dicephalus is when there is one body and two heads. This case happens in about six percent of cases. Ischopagus is when there is an occurrence of the anterior union of the lower half of the body. This happens in about six percent of the cases and the heart is not involved. This case i...