Do identical twins have the same DNA?

Identical twins share the exact same genetic material or DNA, but they aren't always exactly alike. Learn why and why it matters. read more

Identical do have the same genotype. After all, they come from the same fertilized egg. Recent studies have shown that identical twins have very "similar" not "identical" DNA, but for the most part, according to basic biology it is identical. read more

They start with identical genes, because each is formed from a single fertilised egg that splits into two embryos. But from that moment onwards, their DNA begins diverging. The DNA replication mechanism introduces about one new mutation for every 100 million base pairs copied, per generation. read more

This changes the chemical structure of the DNA and affects how active certain genes are, based on diet and other lifestyle differences. So identical twins that have lived different lifestyles could also be genetically distinguished in this way. read more