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conjoined twins |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.13 sec. |
conjoined twinsor Siamese twinsIdentical twins (see multiple birth) whose embryos did not separate completely. Conjoined twins are physically joined (typically along the trunk or at the front, side, or back of the head) and often share some organs. Symmetrical conjoined twins usually have no birth anomalies except at the areas of fusion and can sometimes be separated by surgery. In asymmetrical conjoined twins, one is fairly well developed, but the other is severely underdeveloped and dependent on the larger twin for nutrition. The underdeveloped twin may have to be surgically separated to save the larger twin. The term originally referred to Chang and Eng, born in 1811 in Siam, who were joined by a ligament from breastbone to navel. Widely exhibited, they married two sisters and fathered several children. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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Its members include the World's Tallest Nebraskan; Primi, the Premature Baby; the Log Cabin Republican; and conjoined twins Tuck and Benny. The story centers on a set of conjoined twins, Tom and Barry Howe (played by the unconjoined and irresistibly gorgeous Harry and Luke Treadaway), who are discovered and groomed--make that "exploited"--by an impresario who's looking for a novelty rock band. Conjoined twins result from incomplete separation of monozygotic, monochorionic twins early in embryonic development, resulting in body parts of the otherwise normal twins remaining fused throughout development. |
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