Question

Inheritance of acquired characters was proposed by

• A. Darwin
• B. Weisman
• C. Lamarck
• D. De Vries

Answer 1

The correct option is C

Lamarck

The correct option is C.

Explanation of the correct option:

1. Inheritance of acquired characters was proposed by Lamarck.
2. Acquired characters refer to the characters developed by the individual in somatic cells as a result of a direct response to the environment.
3. According to this theory, the physiological changes developed over the life of an organism, may be transmitted to offsprings.
4. This theory is known as Lamarckism.
5. It was discredited by most geneticists.

Explanation of the incorrect option:

Option A:

1. Darwin accepted the theory of Lamarckism.
2. He supported Lamarck in the theory, that argued acquired characters can be inherited.
3. Darwin's theory of evolution was that only the fittest survived.
4. He believed there were four factors or causes of evolution.
5. They are natural selection, inheritance of acquired characters by use or disuse, inheritance of acquired characters by the direct action of the environment, and mutation.

Option B:

1. Weisman disproved Lamarck's theory of acquired characters. He conducted experiments on mice for twenty generations.
2. The tails of mice were cut but in all generations, they were born with a tail.
3. Weisman's theory of inheritance was the theory of continuity of germplasm.
4. He proposed that germplasm was the hereditary material in cells.
5. Only the germplasm was transmitted by parents to offspring.

Option D:

1. According to De Vries, evolution is a result of mutation.
2. A mutation is a sudden change in the genetic material of an organism due to an error in DNA replication during cell division, exposure to mutations, or viral infection.

Final answer: Inheritance of acquired characters was proposed by Lamarck.