The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-08-10

b. science srrrice
In many animal species. IL IS Gus
tomary for several young 70 be born
AZ the same time. But with man.
such multiple births are sufficiently
rare 50 that the arrival OF twins is
al0.1ys the cause OF interested com
ment.
-he biyth OF a number larger than
two is considered phenomenal. Dur
ing 1892. the latest year for which
figures are available. only 236 sets
% trlplets were born IN the whole
United States. and IN hfty-six Of
these cases not all the members
were living az birth. OF quadruplets.
only SIX cases were reported and
IN only I'VE cases were all four hv-
ing a. birth No births Of larger
numbers were reported.
Human infants usually arrive SIN
gly because. Ia humans. nature or
diEarily provides for the release
from her StOrehouse of but one egg
cell az a time. Il IS 10 this single
cell that the human being has his
origin.
Under unusual conditions, how
ever. due TO causes which are not
completely understood. nature al
lows the release Of two or three Of
these egg cells 40 a single time.
This trick OF nature is not par
tlcularly rare. According 10 d.. A.
r. Gu'tmacher, Johns Hopkins uni
versItv physician and scientist. Il
happens about once IN every ige
monthly cycles. but It is relatively
rare that both eggs develop into
living creatures
When they 90 twins or triplets
are born. But twins or triplets
formed in this fashion are not es-
peCialiy like one another except as
they share I'm the general tendency
for members Of one family to have
resemblances. About 20 per cent OF
all twins are Of his dissimilar, or
"fraternaI' type
The twins that are mistaken for
one another. that are as alike as
two peas IN a pod. are formed IN
a different manner. These identi-
cal twins have their origin IN but
one single cell which begins 20 de
yelop IN the ordinary fashion.
Myriad Cells Grow
All living creatures. from the
humblest form OF Iellyfish to the
wisest college professor, have the
same beginning as a tiny single fer
tilted egg cell or ovum. But the
egg cell very soon divides into two
and then these TWO split into four
and this process continues until,
long before the birth of an infant.
there have been developed all the
myriad cells which make up the
human body.
Way back in the very earliest part
Of your life. when that original
ovum had divided into a group of
several cells. half the resulting cells
were destined TO become the right
hand parts Of your body-your right
eye. right car. right nostril. the
right side Of your brain, and so on
the other half became the twin
parts on the left-hand side OF your
body.
Biologists therefore say that every
normal individual Is a perfectly bal
anced and combined pair OF twins.
Cell Rarely Separates
Once in a great while. because Of
something which diSturbS the nor
NAL course Of development. the cell
may separate into two entirely dis
tinct parts. each Of which develops
into a complete and perfectly ball
anced human being. It has been
found that the right hand of one
Of these persons Is more like the
corresponding hand Of his twin than
il is like ms own left hand He IS
more like his twin than he is ike
himself
The formation of these identical
twins may be considered a biolog-
zeal accident Just as Is the develop
ment n fratCrnal twins. Some
hereditv or other factor. not clearly
understood as vet. binders the nor
NAL development Of the individual