• Question: When an egg is fertilized, what is the chance that the cell will divide from three from two and not four?

    Asked by Newt to Carmen, Daniel, Laura, Noel, Steph on 16 Mar 2015.
    • Photo: Noel Carter

      Noel Carter answered on 16 Mar 2015:

      Hi Newt-= I am not sure what you mean? Is this about chances of getting twins and multiples of identical children?

      I am not sure anyone understands what triggers identical twins etc. But the chances are very small

    • Photo: Carmen Denman

      Carmen Denman answered on 16 Mar 2015:

      Hi Newt,
      I might not be following your question correctly, but I’ve found some stats on twin birth rates in the UK that might interest you?

      In the UK approx 1.5% of all multiple births are twins (3% of the total UK population). The rate of identical twins remains at about 1 in 250 across the globe. Triplets are quite rare (approximately 1 in 8000 births)…

      Again, sorry if this doesn’t answer your question, let us know if you need more information.

      Carmen

Comments

  • Photo: Newt

    Newt commented on :

    Sorry if I wasn’t clear in my question. I was trying to ask if there was ever a case when a fertilised egg, which splits into two, then four, then eight, doesn’t split into any of these numbers but follows the pattern three, six, twelve ect. Sorry if I’m still not clear enough.