Polyembryony

Polyembryony is the phenomenon of two or more embryos developing from a single fertilized egg.[1][2][3] Due to the embryos resulting from the same egg, the embryos are identical to one another, but are genetically diverse from the parents.[1][2] The genetic difference between the offspring and the parents, but the similarity among siblings, are significant distinctions between polyembryony and the process of budding and typical sexual reproduction.[2] Polyembryony can occur in humans, resulting in identical twins, though the process is random and at a low frequency.[1] Polyembryony occurs regularly in many species of vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants.

  1. ^ a b c Filonva, L. H.; von Arnold, S.; Daniel, G.; Bozhkov, P. V. (2002). "Programmed cell death eliminates all but one embryo in a polyembryonic plant seed". Nature. 9 (10): 1057–1062. doi:10.1038/sj.cdd.4401068. PMID 12232793.
  2. ^ a b c Craig, Sean F.; Slobodkin, Lawrence B.; Wray, Gregory A.; Biermann, Christiane H. (1997-03-01). "The 'paradox' of polyembryony: A review of the cases and a hypothesis for its evolution". Evolutionary Ecology. 11 (2): 127–143. Bibcode:1997EvEco..11..127C. doi:10.1023/A:1018443714917. ISSN 0269-7653. S2CID 5556785.
  3. ^ Batygina, T. B.; Vinogradova, G. Iu (2007-05-01). "[Phenomenon of polyembryony. Genetic heterogeneity of seeds]". Ontogenez. 38 (3): 166–191. ISSN 0475-1450. PMID 17621974.