Noun
superfecundation- the fertilisation of two or more ova by sperm from separate acts of sexual intercourse, which can lead to twins with different fathers
Read full definition at wiktionary.org
...Superfecundation is the fertilization of two or more ova from the same cycle by sperm from separate acts of sexual intercourse. The term is also sometimes used to refer to the instances of two different males fathering fraternal twins, though this is more accurately known as heteropaternal superfecundation. This therefore leads to the possibility of twins also being half-siblings. The term superfecundation is derived from fecund, meaning the ability to produce offspring. Read full entry
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- 1.Superfecundation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Superfecundation is the fertilization of two or more ova from the same cycle by ... The term superfecundation is derived from fecund, meaning the ability to produce ...
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S
uperfecundation
- 2.superfecundation: Definition from Answers.com
- superfecundation n. Fertilization of more than one ovum within a single menstrual cycle by separate acts of coitus, especially by different
- http://www.answers.com/topic/s
uperfecundation
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I think my twins are a result I don't have the placenta.
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Yes DNA test the twins, and then the usual suspects. Hetero...? Super....? Someone who knows these prefixes, and the root words, can figure it out. You've found a way to filter out the people, who would tell you how evil you are. Stupid is as stupid does. |
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How does hetero-paternal OK, so hetero-paternal
superfecundation is the
instance when two different
eggs get fertilized by sperm
of two different men.
We're told that one
ejaculation produces millions
of spermatozoa, and that only
one gets to fertilize an egg.
How is it possible that the
second egg doesn't get
fertilized by another
spermatozoon from the same
sexual occurrence?
Is it because the eggs weren't
released simultaneously? In
which case, would that mean
that one twin would have not
completed full development at
the time of birth?
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It is not that it is impossible for the second egg to become fertilized by another spermatozoon from the same ejaculate, but when that happens it is not an instance of hetero-paternal superfecundation. Most instances of fertilization will occur within the first 48 hours after ejaculation due to the deteriorating motility of the spermatazoa, and the odds of a successful fertilization from a single sexual act are fairly low (somewhere between 3-11%, depending on how you look at it). So, if two ova are released in a single cycle (regardless of whether they are released simultaneously or not), the odds of conception increase with the increased presence of healthy spermatazoa. In the case of hetero-paternal superfecundation, sperm are introduced during the relatively narrow fertile window for the ova from two different donors, and then the spermatazoa fight it out, so to speak, to fertilize the ova. Assuming both samples of spermatazoa are relatively healthy in terms of number and motility, their chances of fertilizing one of the eggs would be fairly even. Of course, there are several variables. If the two ejaculations are, say, 24 hours apart, then one of the samples will be fresher and more motile when the fertility window opens, giving it an edge in the odds. As for the question about the twin development, twin development rate is determined by any number of things, including the health of the placenta and umbilicus, and whether or not the placenta and amnion are shared. It is not simply a function of time. In any event, the time during which fertilization and implantation can occur is finite, so it is likely that both will implant and begin to develop at a fairly close time interval. "Full development" is a fairly relative term. The typical pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks gestation, but a fetus is generally considered full-term at 37 weeks gestation. Obviously, if twins are born prematurely, which a sizable number of twins are, then it is conceivable that neither will have developed fully before birth. I would think that the exact time of implantation, which must occur in a fairly narrow window, would have less to do with fetal maturation in the long-term than other factors contributing to the overall health of the pregnancy. |
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Take for instance a woman I suppose you could call them
fraternal triplets
collectively. Anyway, what is
superfetation and
superfecundation ?
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When the woman ovulates, her body releases eggs and in order to become an embryo (or eventually a baby) the egg has to be fertalized. With twins, identical twins mean the same egg split apart. For faternal twins, it means two eggs were fertalized. In the case of triplets, one girl and identical boys, two eggs were fertalized, but the second egg split. Making the boys identical. |
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