Inheritance of acquired characteristics

Definition

Inheritance of acquired characteristics is a hypothesis proposed by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck suggesting that traits developed during an organism's lifetime can be passed on to its offspring. This idea has been largely discredited by modern genetics and evolutionary biology.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Proposed by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck in the early 19th century.
2. Suggests that environmental changes lead to new habits, which then cause physical changes in organisms.
3. Examples often cited include giraffes stretching their necks to reach higher leaves and passing longer necks to their offspring.
4. Discredited by the discovery of genetic inheritance mechanisms, particularly through the work of Gregor Mendel.
5. Modern evolutionary theory supports natural selection rather than the inheritance of acquired traits.

Review Questions

• Who proposed the hypothesis of inheritance of acquired characteristics?
• Why has the idea of inheritance of acquired characteristics been largely discredited?
• Can you provide an example often associated with Lamarck's hypothesis?

Related terms

Natural Selection: A process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Genetic Inheritance: The process by which genetic information is passed from parent to offspring through DNA.

Lamarckism: The theory proposing that organisms can pass on traits acquired during their lifetime to their offspring.