Biography:

Dr. Abass T. Al- Joudi received his M.Sc in plant genetics in 1983 from Mousal University. In 1984 he joined the Department of Biology, College of Science as assistant lecturer. He was granted a scholarship in 1997 from the university to do his PhD which he received in 2001 in genetic engineering and molecular biology from the Roorkee University, India. Starting from 2001 he taught in many universities in the United Arab Emirates (Ajman University for Science and Technology, Al- Ain University for Science and Technology and Abu Dhabi University). In 2007, he joined the Sohar University in the Sultanate of Oman, Department of Biology as assistant professor and coordinator. He has published many papers in human genetics and participated in many local and international conferences.

Abstract:

Epigenetic differences arising during the life time of monozygotic twins

A random sample of monozygotic twins of old men and women are studied in the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates. This kind of study is rarely tackled in medical, biological and psychological studies. (Silventoinen et. Al., 2006) (Poulsen et. Al ,2007). This study investigates the continuity of traits for both twins for many individuals. It also studies the impact of environmental factors on them in different steps of their life (childhood, teenage and old age). These characters include genetical, physiological, psychological and parapsychological point of views. The results of long-term observation of the different traits and diseases of the samples studied during their life-time show that these twelve identical twins were similar in the beginning of their life in all the characters studied (weight, height, clothes chosen, style of sleeping, behaviour and other traits). It was also found that the twins were similar in up to 98% of these traits before marriage and for a short time after marriage (for example twins from a 77 year-old pair, were similar in all characters studied before marriage, while differences between many of the traits started after the twins were in new environments. Also, one suffered from a heart attack, a psychological problem, while the other one was in good health.) Results also lead to the conclusion that similarities between identical twins are continuous for a long time but start to differ when the twins shift to new environments after marriage. Besides, different environmental factors have an impact on them leading to epigenetic differences, which mean that non-genetic factors influence the expression of genes responsible for a lot of effects and diseases. Such factors could cause random genetic mutations or effects. These kinds of differences can be identified by studying some diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, haemorrhoids, heart attack and rheumatism and the difference in DNA sequences, which can be traced by DNA finger prints.