Evolution Question 27
27. Which one of the following scientists name is correctly matched with the theory put forth by him?
[2008]
(a) Weismann - Theory of continuity
(b) Pasteur - Inheritance of acquired characters
(c) De Vries - Natural selection
(d) Mendel Theory of Pangenesis
Show Answer
Answer : a
Hints & Solution
(a) The theory of the continuity of the germplasm published by August Weismann (1834-1914) in 1886. It proposes that the contents of the reproductive cells (sperms and ova) are passed on unchanged from one generation to the next, unaffected by any changes undergone by the rest of the body. It thus rules out any possibility of the inheritance of acquired characteristics, and has become fundamental to Neo-Darwinian theory.