Twins are a very interesting phenomenon that leave many people having many questions about how twins develop, the difference between identical and fraternal twins, and how pairs of twins int
biology discussion question
Help with discussions
Requirements: 200 words each 500 for part 3
Part 2:?Peer response?-?due Sunday?at 11:59pm PT
Comment on 2 other students’ postings, including: a) one aspect that you really liked about their posting, b) an aspect that could be improved, c) ask them a question about their topic.
Response 1 – Twins
Twins are a very interesting phenomenon that leave many people having many questions about how twins develop, the difference between identical and fraternal twins, and how pairs of twins interact with each other and if their brains think the same way.? Being a twin myself these are all questions that I have been asked from my peers. There are two different types of twins, identical and fraternal. Identical twins are born when one egg is fertilized in the mothers uterus and then within the first week or so the egg splits becoming two different eggs. Unlike identical twins, fraternal twins are born when two separate eggs are fertilized from the start. These differences are why identical twins look the same and fraternal twins often look different and can be two different genders.
? ?Twins are a very interesting phenomenon to scientists. Many studies have been done looking into the brain dynamic of sets of twins. Scientists have looked in to the difference in environmental factors and genetic factors.? One study titled: Birth weight and anthropometric measurements of twins? By: Jahanfar, Shayesteh, Annals of Human Biology, looks into the differences of twins, both identical and fraternal. The study analyzes twins birth weights and heights and then looks at the twins weights and heights as adults. To ensure the study is accurate they look at twins from many different environments across the globe. Their study concludes that the twin who is smaller in weight or height at birth continues to stay shorter and lighter in adult life. I believe these findings because that is the case for me and my sister. The study goes into much more detail about the differences between what could be genetic differences and what could be from the environment. Both the environment and genetic factors do have an input in the twins height, weight and length so that was incorporated into the study.??
? ??Now, the topic most people ask about is the telepathy aspect of twins. Although I was not able to find much research on this topic, one article I did find states that there has not been much research done. This article states that with the minimal research we have many twin telepathy experiences come from environmental factors. They did tests by separating the sets of twins by walls or floors. They then used five different types of stimuli on each twin. It showed a connection between the twins’ reactions to when something was happening to the other, and the test came back very low, showing that there was little reaction to the other twin being harmed . Just like someone with their best friend who experienced the same things often, twins can do the same. This would only most likely happen though if the twins were close together. Overall, there is still a lot of research that needs to be done on twins, and how they grow and develop and what differences it makes if they are together or separate.
Response 2 Vitamin D deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency causes include malabsorption that could be cured with the Myers Cocktail and Genetic Evaluation. Vitamin D is essential for the absorption of calcium and phosphorus by your intestines, leading to hypocalcemia (low calcium levels in your blood). Knowing that 50% of the population has vitamin D insufficiency, how many chronic diseases, possibly cancer, could be prevented by correcting this inefficiency? In addition, this leads to secondary hyperparathyroidism (overactive parathyroid glands attempting to keep blood calcium levels regular). Suppose doctors combined the Myers cocktail and genetic evaluation to infuse vitamin D into the patient. Would this lower the percentage of the population affected by this primary deficiency?
The balance of calcium levels in your blood (via secondary hyperparathyroidism) and accelerated bone demineralization result in osteomalacia (soft bones) in adults and rickets in children. Osteomalacia and osteoporosis put you at an increased risk for bone fractures. Rickets is the same as osteomalacia, but it only affects children. Since a child’s bones are still growing, demineralization causes bowed or bent bones. ? There are various types of Vitamin D, such as calciferol (vitamin D2) and cholecalciferol ( vitamin D3 ). Both hypocalcemia and hyperparathyroidism can cause your bones to become thin, brittle, or misshapen; insulin production and immune function with Side effects are muscle weakness and cramps, fatigue, and depression.
Genetic Evaluation testing could help with several specific causes of vitamin D deficiency, including Certain medical conditions, Weight loss surgeries, Certain medications, older age, and the amount of melanin (pigment) in your skin. While hereditary cancer syndromes have been described and studied for centuries, the completion of the human genome project fueled accelerated progress in precision medicine due to the introduction of genetic testing in the 1990s, creating avenues for tailored treatments and medical management options. However, genetic testing has not benefited everyone equitably, with nearly all of the published work based on individuals of non-Hispanic White/European ancestry. In addition, due to significant disparities in access and uptake of genetic testing, there remains a gap in knowledge regarding the prevalence, penetrance, and manifestations of common hereditary cancer syndromes in the African-American population.
The secondary effects causes have been proven to cause many diseases, just like hereditary cancer syndromes have been described since the 1800s. For example, a lack of Vitamin D is known to cause Cystic fibrosis, Crohn’s disease, and celiac disease: These conditions can prevent your intestines from adequately absorbing enough vitamin D through supplements. The consequences of vitamin D deficiency are secondary hyperparathyroidism and bone loss, leading to osteoporosis and fractures by mineralization defects.
?We only focused on European countries to test this hypothesis and limit confounding bias (latitude, etc.). We search for the mean levels of vitamin D in each country. We searched the number of cases of Utilizing Myers Cocktail in the population in each of the countries and the mortality caused by this disease. If we could determine that vitamin D deficiency could be reduced by using genetic testing and the Myers cocktail, this would contribute to our medical field. We know the ideal Measurement of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) is the best index for determining average or subnormal vitamin D in the body. Let’s find the common dent at or via genetic testing. ?
Sometimes Vitamin D toxicity can change your mental patterns. There is a possibility that you may experience the feeling of confusion, bouts of depression, and even psychotic symptoms. In extreme circumstances, you may get into a coma. In some unusual situations, being poisoned from Vitamin D may affect your kidneys. It is even possible even to experience kidney failure. Excessive Vitamin D can cause the risk of building up too much calcium and, as a result, causes you to pee too much, leading to you being dehydrated, which damages your kidneys.
Though too much calcium can form in your kidneys, you must know that it can also impact your blood. Under normal levels, Vitamin D helps you absorb calcium, depending on the kind of food you eat. Under abnormal Vitamin D levels, that may be poisonous; however, too much buildup of calcium levels in your blood can be hazardous. How much Vitamin D do I need to take? 1,5002,000 IU of every day Vitamin D. You can take as much as 4,000 IU without causing any harm. Intravenous (IV) treatments work faster than dietary supplements because the ingredients in the IV bag are delivered directly into your bloodstream and go to work in your body immediately. With nutritional supplements, it takes longer to see effects because the supplement must go through your digestive system before your body can use it. Medical professionals administer all Drip Hydration IV treatments in your home. ?
Figure 1
Vitamin D Genetics Attached

Many people believe their lack of Vitamin D is due to their diet or lack of sunlight. ?Genetics makes up 80 % of how your body absorbs Vitamin D. So if you have a diet rich in Vitamin D or get plenty of sunlight, you may still be prone to a deficiency. Mutations in CYP27B1 cause 1α-hydroxylase deficiency, also known as vitamin D-dependent rickets type I or hereditary pseudo-vitamin D deficient rickets; sporadic mutations in CYP2R1 can cause 25-hydroxylase weakness. An individual’s access to information about their genetic predispositions enables a personalized approach to disease prevention and treatment, including increased sunlight exposure or a specific supplementation plan to address vitamin D deficiency such as the Myers Cocktail Infusion with Vitamin D as a controlled intake.
References
Vitamin D Deficiency: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment – Cleveland Clinic.?
Zhang, Qian, et al. Effect of Vitamin D Receptor Activators on Glomerular Filtration Rate: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.? PLoS One, vol. 11, no. 1, Public Library of Science, Jan. 2016, p. e0147347.
Walker, Lindsay, et al. Supporting Evidence-Informed Policy and Scrutiny: A Consultation of UK Research Professionals.? PLoS One, vol. 14, no. 3, Public Library of Science, Mar. 2019, p. e0214136.
Part 3
Ethical reflection
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which lays out eight key questions? that we might use to evaluate the ethical dimensions of a situation. After reading the brief account of ethics as a branch of philosophy above and viewing the video, write a personal reflection essay of around 500 words (minimum) on a biology-related topic of your choice.
?The areas of ethical concern discussed in the video are:
Fairness
Outcomes
Responsibilities
Character
Liberty
Empathy
Authority
Rights
Pick one or more of these areas of ethical concern as a way to begin probing and pondering your selected topic.
First, reflect on why the topic you selected presents an ethical issue, a problem of right or wrong, or relates to a morally questionable circumstance or situation. How might different people or groups see the issue or problem? Why might your topic generate moral controversy? Is there a way to judge between competing or opposing views?
Please note, your task is to identify an ethical issue or concern within the topic you?ve selected and then to consider different ethical viewpoints on the issue, not to necessarily take a stand or decide what is right or wrong in an absolute sense. You may express your personal beliefs on the topic and explain their origin within your own learning and experience.
*This is a personal reflection and will not be shared with your classmates.
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