What is the Difference Between Natural and Artificial Twinning?

The difference between natural and artificial twinning lies in the process of how the embryos split and develop into genetically identical individuals.

Natural Twinning:

• Occurs naturally inside the womb of a mother.
• The splitting of the embryo into two takes place naturally.
• Can result in twins sharing a placenta, which may lead to complications such as cord entanglement and locking of twins during birth.

Artificial Twinning:

• Takes place in the lab inside Petri dishes.
• The embryo is split manually, mimicking the natural process of twinning.
• Considered to be safer than natural twinning, as it shows a low risk of pregnancy and childbirth problems.
• Ensures that each foetus has its own placenta, reducing the risk of complications.

Both natural and artificial twinning result in genetically identical plants or animals, and both processes produce more than one offspring. However, artificial twinning is a more controlled and planned process, which can reduce the risk of certain complications associated with natural twinning.

Comparative Table: Natural vs Artificial Twinning

The main difference between natural and artificial twinning lies in the process and location where the embryo splits into two, leading to the formation of identical twins. Here is a table comparing the two processes:

In summary, natural twinning occurs when the early embryo spontaneously splits into two inside the mother's womb, while artificial twinning is a laboratory-based process where the early embryo is manually split into two under in vitro conditions. Artificial twinning is considered safer than natural twinning, as it shows a low risk of complications. Both processes result in genetically identical offspring.